Star Crossed
by hollybaggins
Summary: How can something that should feel so wrong feel so amazingly right? Are there any such forces in this world that can tear it all apart? Rated 'T' for mature content and language. T&G.
1. Sheer Mumbo Jumbo

**_"Star Crossed" _**** hollybaggins; April 12th 2008**

**This is a derivate piece of fiction featuring characters copyrighted and trademarked by Disney Enterprises Inc. It is based upon _High School Musical, _copyright 2006 by Walt Disney Enterprises Inc., all rights reserved; and _High School Musical 2, _copyright 2007 by Walt Disney Enterprises Inc., all rights reserved. The author is not connected with nor is this work authorised by Walt Disney Enterprises Inc., or any other motion picture studios. This work is solely intended for posting on Fanfiction, for the benefit and enjoyment of its intended audience. No commercial or financial benefit accrues or is intended to accrue to the author as a result of said posting. Any unauthorised copying or redistribution of this work might subject the party responsible for such unauthorized copying or redistribution to legal action by the owners of the aforementioned copyrights and trademarks.**

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**A/N: Hey, y'all. 'Tis me again – back with a brand new, spankin', spiffin', side splittin' new story! **

**As the vast majority of you know, my muse is really bossy and demanding lately – there're so many one-shots I have in the works; plus my story with Kylie and my other fics. But I had this really bad itch yesterday to start my very own alternate universe HSM fiction… and here lies the result of that itch.**

**You may read the first chapter and think **_**'oh hell no! Loads of people use this concept!' **_**– a fact, yes, is true; but bear with me, people. If you know me and love me, you'll know I like to put my own spin on things and take it that little bit further. Yes, there's a hyooge chance it may suck but you gotta tell me through those reviews!**

**Okay, disclaimer. Unfortunately my **_**'High School Musical' **_**domination hasn't gone according to plan thus far. I do not have Zac Efron sitting in my lap whispering sweet nothings into my ear. I do not have Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale bowing faithfully at my feet. I do not have Corbin Bleu and Lucas Grabeel doing songs and dances at my every command. I do not have Monique Coleman and Kenny Ortega serving me cocktails and unhealthy snacks every hour on the hour.**

**This world thus sucks.**

**I own nothing but the original characters – in other words, characters you do not recognise from HSM. The wonderful people who brought us those fantabulous films and characters are not paying me money for this – it's all for fun and relevant muse satisfying! (Take my work and you die brutally!)**

**Okay, my first solo A/U fic – guys, I need to know how I'm doing here! Please review!**

**A note to my fellow angels – just pay close attention… you never know when some of you could just… pop up…**

**Holly xxx**

One: Sheer Mumbo-Jumbo

Troy Bolton tapped his pen against his notebook in complete boredom. He blinked slowly; his mouth opening to allow a long drawn-out yawn escape. He tried with every last piece of strength he had in him not to look at the ticking clock that hung on the wall over Ms. Darbus' head but his brain was rebelling. Behind him, he could hear his best friend, Chad Danforth, snore quietly and Troy smirked weakly at the noise.

Ms. Darbus was walking idly up and down the aisles between the students desks; her face buried in William Shakespeare's _Romeo and Juliet _and her eyes shining brightly as she read out quote after quote; completely oblivious to the meek moans of protest and yawns that continued to erupt from her pupils.

"Words just can not describe the sheer beauty in Shakespeare's language!" The fifty-year-old drama enthusiast declared brightly; extending her arm out high as she spoke. "_My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late! Prodigious birth of love it is to me that I must love a loathed enemy._"

Troy blinked owlishly and glared at the clock. He hated drama class – hated it with a passion. Upon starting his senior year at East High school, the basketball captain had become confident that there was no God; no guardian angel watching over him during his time at school – if there was, he had decided that this so-called angel was a complete and utter bitch; forcing him to endure Darbus not only during homeroom but for drama class too. In all, he wasn't sure he'd survive his last year in High School.

"This story is just _beautiful_." Darbus rambled as she walked back to the front of the class, holding the book aloft. "Its passion just radiates from each page; each single word _golden_ and _spectacular_. You can _feel _the love; _feel _their frustrations and aches and _needs_."

Troy felt his eye lids become heavy as he sighed softly, allowing sleep to overtake his body. As he felt his whole body relax, Darbus clapped her hands together sharply; forcing the entire class to groan loudly and sit up straight.

"Volunteers!" She announced with a large smile. "I need two volunteers. One boy and one girl. Chop, chop! Let's go!"

Troy watched as his girlfriend of four months leaped out of her seat beside him and took a copy of the book from the teacher. "I'd like to play Juliet please, Ms. Darbus." The blonde head-cheerleader looked over to her boyfriend expectantly but Troy just sank lower into his seat, mouthing 'not a chance' to her.

Heather Douglas frowned, annoyed at him for leaving her up there. Ms. Darbus ignored the quiet exchange between the two and let her eyes cast over the class, picking out her next victim.

"Chad Danforth!" She cried out. Troy tried to hide a smirk as Chad quickly picked his head up off the table and darted his head from side to side, remembering his position.

"Who? Wha?" He grumbled tiredly, causing Darbus to place a hand on her hip impatiently and glare at him.

"Welcome to the Land of the Living, Mr. Danforth. We do not have time for your childish games so would you please pick yourself up and get over here."

"Aww, man." Chad groaned as Darbus handed him a book and pointed at the relevant passage. "I can't read this shit."

"Language, young man!" Darbus scolded with a high squawk. "I won't tolerate any student abusing the fine works of Shakespeare, do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am." Chad mumbled, holding the book up high against his face.

Heather stood up straight behind him, offering Troy dagger glares every now and then to which he gave her a weak smile in apologies. There was no force on that planet that could get him up there quoting Shakespeare. Not a chance in hell.

"Read, young lovers. Feel your emotions rise as you speak every syllable; venture into the depths of your hearts and soar into your wildest dreams. Because that's what William Shakespeare _wanted_ his audience to feel. He wanted his audience to capture every emotion; every single moment of true love and the pain of losing that one person who makes you feel whole." To this, Chad scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Mr. Danforth; begin!"

Chad cleared his throat and narrowed his eyes at his best friend as Troy bit on his fist to keep back from laughing. "Uh…yeah. Right. Whatever. If I pro…" His eyebrows scrunched. "Pro… fane? Pro—"

"Profane!" Darbus squeaked, causing him to jump.

"Yeah… profane." He cleared is throat and Heather rolled her eyes in annoyance. "If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle sin is this. My lips, to blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss." A pause. "_What?_"

"Good pilgrim," Heather recited perfectly. "You do wrong your hand too much, which mannerly devotion shows in this. For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmer's kiss."

"_Say what?" _Chad breathed again; his eyes widening at the scripture.

"Mr. Danforth." Ms. Darbus warned.

"Have not saint's lips and holy palmers too?"

Upon seeing his bewildered frown and lack in passion, Ms. Darbus stormed to the front of the class and tugged the book from Chad's hands in frustration. "Where is your passion, Mr. Danforth? Where is your sheer joy for the art of Shakespeare?"

"Uh…I have none?"

"Don't talk pish-posh; these types of feelings lie in every single human being. Although in some cases, I suppose I'd let you off the hook in that matter. These feelings exist in us all and Shakespeare wanted to highlight that fact. This play allows you to come to terms with your inner self; get yourself connected to your heart and soul and feel in a way you've never felt before. This is love at first sight. Romeo is captivated by Juliet's beauty, her soul. Everything that she is mesmerises him. Why, he would climb up her balcony; risk death just to see her one more time!"

Chad raised his hand. "Ms. Darbus? Sorry, Your Highness, ma'am, but this story here just doesn't make sense."

Ms. Darbus raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"No. I mean, if I went up to some chick at a party and spat out mumbo-jumbo, I'm pretty certain she'd make sure it would be very difficult for me to procreate later on in life."

"A consequence I wouldn't really consider to be a bad thing."

Chad pulled a face and Troy could contain his laughter no more. Ms. Darbus looked ready to commit murder upon realising that her preferred message about her love for Shakespeare just wasn't happening. With a sharp huff of defeat, the drama teacher told Chad and Heather to return to their seats abruptly.

As Chad sank back into his chair, Troy turned around in his seat and smirked widely at his best friend. "Shut up." Chad shot at him. "You should have been up there reading that pile of shit. She is your girlfriend, you know."

"Hey, no way, dude. I'd _never _put myself in that kind of situation and embarrass myself like you jut did!"

"Funny." Chad scoffed as the bell rang and everyone stampeded from the classroom before Darbus could dismiss them. "Hey." Chad caught up to Troy and Heather in the hallway. "Are you guys going to that party tonight?"

Heather pulled a face and tugged on Troy's arm. "That's a West High party, Chad. Do you want to be killed?"

"Nah, it's all cool." Chad waved the blonde off nonchalantly. "Those damn Montez twins are heading off to Santa Fe tonight – apparently Daddy Montez has organised some meeting with these famous national basketball coaches and they're going to 'show off their stuff'."

"Seriously?" Troy raised an eyebrow as the three of them stopped by his locker. "How come my dad never let me in on that?"

Chad rolled his eyes and watched as his best friend opened his locker and shoved his gym bag inside. "Dude, I would absolutely love to see you, coach, Mattie, Jake and Joe Montez on a minibus together for a formal meeting; I really would. Sadly I think your dad wants you guys to live. Sadly I won't be able to get front row seats to Albuquerque's very own Springer show. Sadly there is to be no drama between you guys this evening."

Heather let her body fall against the lockers, her heavy sigh bringing the boys back to attention. "All this fighting over stupid basketball." She muttered, ignoring Troy and Chad's looks of protest and bewilderment. "It's not like I'm fighting with West High's head cheerleader, is it? Do you boys actually get off over fighting over a damn sport?"

"Not really." Troy shrugged.

"Hell yeah!" Chad interjected, pulling a face in Troy's direction. "It's about honour, Heather; your status as a man! Now, we've kicked West High's butts _every year_ doing what we do best; and if that gets them pissed off in the process then that's just one delightful bonus."

"To which you guys get in the same room and end up kicking the shit out of each other. Oh, exciting!" Heather's sarcasm made Chad pull a face.

"You don't understand, cheerleader. You're just… a cheerleader."

"A cheerleader with brains." She looked at her watch. "Anyway, didn't this whole feud start between your dad and Coach Montez?" Heather looked at Troy, who just shrugged and slammed shut his locker door.

"Guess those boys just want to pass it down through the generations. I couldn't give a fuck."

"Well, you should." She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Those fights are just ridiculous and I'm fed up of walking around school with a boyfriend who's scored yet another black eye."

"They've come off worse!"

Heather ignored Chad's comment. "I've got to run. See you guys later." She blew a kiss over her shoulder and Troy watched as she disappeared from view.

"So, dude." Chad poked his shoulder with a grin. "Party tonight?"

--

"Santa Fe, baby!" Jake Montez whooped and hollered at the top of his voice, much to the chagrin of younger sister (by only three minutes) Gabriella. Scrunching her nose up tightly, she tried to brush the endless cheers away and lifted her chemistry textbook up higher, putting all her focus on the periodic table.

Joseph Montez walked up behind her and patted her head gently as he walked past. "Is your brother ready?" He asked as Jake finally stopped his cheering to take a breath. "We need to get moving if we want to miss evening traffic."

"He's upstairs with Sharpay." Jake replied, picking up his basketball from the hallway and dribbling it on the laminate flooring. Gabriella groaned inwardly at the incessant noise; her concentration on her homework slipping away at a vast rate though she tried desperately to hold onto it. As the youngest of triplets, she felt it was a natural thing for every person in her position to feel left out of things. Being the only girl in her household also added to that scenario and didn't help in the slightest. Furthermore, the fact that her father coached her school's basketball team and her two brothers were its leading stars _plus_ the fact she held no interest in the sport only made her feel more like the black sheep of the Montez family.

"He needs to get his ass moving," Joe frowned, glancing at the clock on the mantle before turning his attention to his only daughter sitting at the dining table. "Gabi, baby?" She looked up at him slowly. "We'll be home by tomorrow evening; you sure you're okay here by yourself?"

"Dad," she scoffed, smiling softly. "I'm seventeen, not five. Besides, I can look after you guys better than you can yourselves."

"I know, I know." Joe rolled his eyes and kissed the top of her head gently. "Just humouring you, girl. Maybe Sharpay will spend the night with you if you ask."

Gabriella crinkled her forehead and let out a huff. "Dad, seriously, I'm not desperate."

Joe let out a chuckle before moving away from her and picking up his West High Knights jacket. "You going to say good luck to your brothers?"

"Good luck." Gabriella called out, not tearing her eyes away from her chemistry book.

"Love you too, baby sister." Jake rolled his eyes dramatically. "Just 'cause you've had your future mapped out since you were, like, two years old."

"Have not." She finally looked up to her elder brother, her eyes shining amusingly. "Just 'cause you and Mattie are just mindless jocks who need to speak to some fancy basketball jock-guy to get you into college."

"Touché." Jake nodded his head approvingly. "You're getting there with the insults, Gabs. We've taught you well."

Gabriella nodded her head proudly as her father walked back into the room dragging two suitcases behind him. "You," he said, looking to Jake, "take that to the car and make yourself useful. Gabi, when Matt comes down just tell him to get his skinny butt outside to the car A.S.A.P before we leave without him."

"Sure, dad." Gabriella smiled as Joe hugged her quickly before ushering Jake out of the house. As soon as the front door closed, Gabriella looked back at her homework and sighed; thankful that she could finally have one evening in peace and quiet – no annoying brothers lurking around, no talks of basketball and scholarships and no interruptions with her homework.

That thought was momentarily pushed away as Gabriella heard her eldest brother and his girlfriend stomping down the stairs in midst of another argument.

"Seriously, just _marry_ your damn basketball!" Sharpay Evans spat as she followed Matthew Montez into the dining room. Gabriella shot her brother a brief sympathetic look; never fathoming what her brother saw in West High's prima queen. She often supposed it was all to do with status – being captain of West High's basketball squad did put him under pressure to keep up the popular image.

"Shar, it was a last minute thing." Matt rolled his eyes jokingly to his sister who tried to hide her smile. "Dad got us this meeting tomorrow and he really worked hard for it. Jay and I can't let him down."

"Oh!" Sharpay wafted her arms about in the air. "But you'll _happily_ stand me up tonight! It's Audrey's party for god's sake! Her parents are away for an entire weekend and we've got a _mansion _to ourselves. And you're _seriously _standing me up for some basketball mumbo-jumbo?"

"Shar," Matt sighed tiredly. "It's late. I'm tired. I'm fucking exhausted. Dad and Jake are waiting for me and I need to be ready for this meeting tomorrow. My _future _depends on it. And don't act like I'm the evil boyfriend here. I've been to every one of those plays you and Ryan starred in _and _I fought for front row seats. If you're so worried about showing up alone then why don't you take Gabriella?"

"Huh?" Gabriella snapped her head up quickly.

"Wha?" Sharpay's eyes widened and she shook her head. "Oh, Mattie, _no way_."

Matt looked at his girlfriend with a full dose of disapproval but Gabriella cut him off before he could speak. "I don't _do _parties, Mattie. Especially ones of_ that_ kind."

"Yeah." Sharpay interjected. "And I know she's your sister and all but I can't show up to Audrey's party with a… _geek_."

Matt opened his mouth to retort in his sister's defence but Gabriella beat him to it. "No, really, Mattie; she's right. I'm a geek – darn proud of it. I can't be seen at a high school party… it's so _lame_. No offence."

"Look," Matt sighed again, his frustrations mounting. "I'm really not liking the fact that my two favourite girls are going to be alone tonight. Really, you guys can get along, right?"

Gabriella crinkled her nose again and forced herself to soften her face when Sharpay looked at her. "Uh…sure?"

"And Shar, she's my sister. It's important to me you guys become friends. Look at the effort I've put in to get along with your weird brother."

"True." Sharpay sniffed abruptly. "Ryan is pretty tough to take… but at least _he _dresses well for occasions – not just throwing on any old thing that's lying around."

Gabriella looked down at herself, noting her baggy jeans and West High hoodie that looked about two sizes too big for her. Her hair was scrunched up in a loose ponytail and her make-up was subtle – almost looking non-existent. Light pink ballet flats sat comfortably on her feet and Sharpay made a face at the sight before her.

"She looks like she's walked through a hedge backwards."

Matt slapped his forehead. "Please, please, _please,_ Shar; I'm begging you now. Please take Gabs to the party."

"What?" Gabriella interrupted, irritated. "I have homework, Mattie!"

"Homework schmowork." Sharpay tutted. "There is more to life than books, Gabriella!"

"Exactly." Matt forced a smile and snaked one arm around Sharpay's shoulder, the other around a reluctant Gabriella's. "Show her, Shar. Please."

"I don't want to be shown, Mattie!" Gabriella exclaimed, exasperated. "I don't want to go!"

"You need to get out there, Gabs; for your own good! You can't keep living a sheltered life like this where you feel you've gotta be mom and do nothing but schoolwork and scholastic decathlon meets with Nathalie. It's all… _backward_!"

"Backward?" Gabriella folded her arms tightly. "You wanna talk backward? All you, dad and Jake talk about is freaking basketball! There's more to life than basketball!"

"She's got a point there." Sharpay inspected her nails.

"Yeah, well at least I get myself out there socially." Matt shot back. "And at least I do more stuff than basketball! Just because I want a future in it doesn't mean I revolve my whole life around it!" Hearing him, Gabriella stubbornly looked up at the ceiling, her lips pursed tightly and anger boiling inside of her. As Joe honked the car horn outside, Matt sighed pathetically. "Girls, please. Just… go tonight. And Gabs, if you don't like it just call a cab to bring you home. I'll pay for it."

"You'll pay for mine too?" Sharpay asked hopefully.

"Yeah. Whatever." Matt pulled a fifty dollar bill from his pocket and handed it to his girlfriend before kissing her cheek softly. "Look, I gotta run before they leave without me. Just… try and enjoy yourself, Gabs. Okay?"

"Yeah. Whatever." The brunette mumbled as Matt headed to the front door and let himself out.

A sense of tension and awkwardness sliced its way through the atmosphere and Sharpay turned to speak. "Okay, we'll go together but as soon as we get there just try and act like everyone else, Comprende? No-one wants to hear about science and math and shit – just say as little as possible and we'll both be fine."

"Sure." Gabriella shrugged as the trudged her way up towards the stairs.

"Where the hell are you going?" Sharpay called after her.

"To get my book." Gabriella called back defiantly.

Sharpay slapped her forehead and groaned.


	2. That Puking Sensation

A/N: Word up, Peeps

**A/N: Hey guys, it's me again.**

**Just want to say thank you for the positive response this story has had so far and the numerous reviews I've received for the first chapter. You guys rock my socks.**

**Here's another beast for you.**

**Holly xxx**

Two: That Puking Sensation

"Holy shit. West High can't throw one decent party." Chad Danforth mumbled, taking another gulp of his beer. Beside him, Troy Bolton nodded his agreement; his eyes scanning around the room that was jam-packed with students from their rival school – the majority he'd never met; the small few he'd seen at various basketball games or during another East/West showdown.

Zeke Baylor finished the contents of his cup and belched as he drunkenly followed Troy's eyes. "Dude, those pricks aren't here." He hiccupped. "Santa Fe, remember?"

"I'm not looking for them," Troy replied. "I thought Heather would have shown up or something."

"You kidding?" Jason Cross swayed dangerously on his feet. "I thought this was a girlfriend-free night?"

"She's kinda good friends with Kirstie; you know, West High's head-cheerleader?"

"Dude, she is smokin'." Chad nodded his head in approval before realising his own girlfriend was talking to her friends not far away. Troy smirked at his friend's admission and the look in his eyes when he spotted Taylor McKessie was only a few metres away talking to her own group of friends. "Uh…Taylor, that is. Not Kirstie. Or Heather. Or anyone else. Just Taylor."

"She can't hear you, man." Troy patted Chad's shoulder reassuringly. "I'm guessing you'll live at least one more evening."

Chad ignored his comment and looked at Troy's cup which was still full to the brim with beer. "Aren't you drinking?"

Troy stared down at his drink and grimaced at the look and smell of it. "Nah. West High beer, right? Poison." He smirked, placing it on the table behind him. Chad then looked down at his own and scrunched his nose up in disgust.

"Shit, yeah. Holy fuck, I _am _gonna die tonight."

Jason and Zeke looked down at their own cups. "Dude," Zeke hiccupped. "This is good shit."

"What the fuck are _they_ doing here?!" A new voice boomed from behind them.

"That's not good shit." Jason mumbled, closing his eyes in preparation for the certain brawl that was to take place. Will Jessop and three other members of the West High Knights circled around the four guys; eyes menacing and annoyance flashing in their eyes. Troy and Chad smiled simultaneously as the basketball team members glared at them.

"What's up, guys?" Will snapped dangerously. "You fucked every girl at East so now you're thinking of starting here?"

"Funny, Jessop. Funny." Chad scoffed. "Where are the top dogs this fine evening? Thought you couldn't function without them pulling the strings behind you."

Will narrowed his eyes. "You're seriously asking for it, Danforth. You guys are just lucky they're not here. You wouldn't have shown up if you didn't know that they're away in Santa Fe."

"We would have shown up." Jason sneered, still rocking on the balls of his feet. "You guys have gate-crashed enough of our parties so don't pretend we're the ones trespassing on dirty turf."

"Try me, scum." Will sneered. "I could beat the shit out of you all night."

Troy chuckled at his words. "Seriously, it's not you we're scared of."

"_Oh! For fuck's sake!" _A feminine tone screeched loudly from across the crowds.

"It's her." Troy groaned and slumped his shoulders as Sharpay Evans pushed her way through the herds of party-goers; her three 'Sharpettes' hot on her heels. "Evans!" He called cheerfully as she came to a stop in front of them; hazel orbs burning and arms folded tightly across her chest.

"As if tonight could get _any _worse!" She called, exasperated. "What the _fuck_ are you and your cronies doing here, Bolton?!"

"Hello to you too, Evans." Troy smiled widely. "Missed you too."

"Oh, _bite me_!" Sharpay spat. "I swear to god, you assholes, if you cause trouble and the cops are called in, I'll seriously kick all your asses. If Audrey's parents get called home early because of _you _and we lose our mansion for the weekend I'll slice off your dicks with a butter knife and mount them on my wall as decoration. You got it?"

"A butter knife?" Chad winced. "Would that even work?" He looked to Troy.

"Eventually." Troy gulped, already feeling the brutal pain.

Fire raged in Sharpay's eyes and she took another step forward, causing the four boys to lean their upper bodies back to get further away. "I swear, don't tempt me. This night has been complete shit so far… trust you bastards to go and push it over the edge."

"Want me to throw them out?" Will spoke up, prompting Troy and Chad to snigger quietly at the thought of him even attempting that act. "Say the word, Shar, and I'll do it."

"So Matt's not here so Evans becomes the big cheese. Woah. This school needs to get their priorities sorted out."

Sharpay ignored Jason and glared to Troy and Chad. "You put one toe out of line and _I'll _bust your asses out of here. Comprende?"

"But—" Will protested, stopping once Sharpay held a hand up to his face.

"Just keep an eye on them." She groaned. "Two eyes if you really must." The blonde spun on her heel and began to walk back through the crowds. "Girls!" She summoned her loyal followers and quick as a flash, Audrey, Ellie and Dee tittered after her on their tiptoes; each grasping a large chunk of her hair and gently running their fingernails through it.

As they watched her retreating back and the eyes of Will Jessop narrow further into slits, Troy and Chad picked up their cups and sighed.

"Now I need a fucking drink."

--

Gabriella buried her nose deep into her book; ignoring the deafening music and the constant drunks who fell on her repeatedly as she squished herself up in the corner of a couch at the back of the main room. She had been at the party for two and a half hours and still couldn't see the appeal; couldn't see why students boasted about them or got excited over them when invitations were handed out.

"Oh my god, I cannot believe you're trying to deflate my ego like this." Gabriella rolled her eyes in the most subtle manner she could muster as she heard her brother's girlfriend's voice boom over the music. "Why don't you just dress me in your best geek wear? At least that would be more subtle."

"Sharpay." Gabriella sighed softly, her eyes still locked on her page. "I'm here aren't I?"

"Barely!" Sharpay shot back, her hands flying to her hips in annoyance. "And it's not like I even wanted you here in the first place. If your brother wasn't so good looking he'd be dead by now for _suggesting _this!"

Gabriella finally looked up from her book and took off her reading glasses, glaring up at the blonde in boredom. "It's not like I'm living in paradise right now, you know. This is like hell on earth for me."

"_This_ is a _party_!" Sharpay screeched. "It's _supposed _to be _fun_! You know, _fun? _As in _having a good time_, being with friends, letting yourself go, _socialising_!"

"Hey, I socialise!" Gabriella snapped abruptly. "Just because my idea of fun totally differs from yours doesn't mean I don't 'let myself go'."

"Oh wow." Sharpay deadpanned. "You can actually be sarcastic."

"Do you want something?" The brunette asked irritably. "Because I have a thousand and one things I'd rather do right now than listen to a load of drunks attempt to sing like Snoop Dogg and Celine Dion."

"Ugh, Gabriella!" Sharpay reached for her arm and pulled her forcefully from the couch.

"Hey!" Gabriella squirmed in her grasp and she stood. "What the hell--?" She exclaimed as Sharpay snatched the book from her hands and threw it back on the couch. "Shar_pay_!"

Sharpay ignored her and reached behind her head, pulling the scrunchie out that was holding her curls up in an untidy bun. Gabriella scowled as Sharpay rearranged her hair, running her extra long nails through it to give it some sort of adequate style. "Here." Sharpay tugged on Gabriella's hoodie. "Take that damn thing off. You look like you're freaking pregnant. Anybody ever told you this is too big for your skinny ass?"

"It's Mattie's." Gabriella mumbled as Sharpay pulled the hoodie over her head and proceeded to tie it around her waist tightly.

"Whatever." Sharpay stepped back and looked at her completed project, raising an eyebrow as she took in the bright pink tank top that was covering Gabriella's top half. "Meh. That'll have to do. But you've still got a long way to go."

"Really, Sharpay; you too nice sometimes." Gabriella replied shortly. "Honestly, I can totally see what my brother sees in you."

"Good." Sharpay smiled thinly, nodding her head in acceptance. "Not brilliant yet, but good try. If you stop being such a stubborn moose one of these days, I'll teach you the art of being a bitch." When Gabriella didn't respond and instead looked at her darkly, Sharpay's smiled widened. "Girls!"

A matter of seconds later, the ever-loyal Dee, Audrey and Ellie appeared over the blonde's shoulders. "Sharpay!"

"Drink." Dee handed her a plastic red cup to which Sharpay held to Gabriella. "You're at a damn party, Montez. People are questioning why you're here – even if you are Mattie and Jake's sister. Do us, them and yourself a favour and get with the times. They'd be invincible if you weren't here holding them back as the 'freaky sister'."

Gabriella narrowed her eyes and kept her gaze on Sharpay's as she snatched the cup from her and took a large gulp. The whiff of vodka laced with other alcohol concoctions filled her nostrils as she swallowed the mixture; the burning sensation at the back of her throat caused her to cough uncontrollably and Sharpay, Ellie, Dee and Audrey to backpeddle as she spluttered numerous drops of alcohol over them.

"My help is needed." Sharpay sighed as Gabriella's eyes widened and her hand clasped over her mouth. Her cheeks puffed and Sharpay backed up further in a panic. "Bathroom's over there!" She shrieked, pointing hysterically to a door across the living room. Gabriella sprinted across the room; through the crowds of people that moved swiftly upon seeing the look on her face.

As she made it to the door, she grasped the handle, a loud muffled squeak erupting from her throat when she found the door was locked. Her hand clasped tighter over her lips as her throat constricted and she banged her other fist on the door erratically.

"Woah! Woah!" A male voice called out through the closed door. "Just fucking hold it a sec, alright?!"

Gabriella only banged her fist harder in response and when she saw the handle twitch and the door unlock from the other side, she pushed with all the strength she had in her, causing the door to fly open and the male voice to holler in pain as the door slammed into his face.

"Fuck!" He called, falling back against the bathtub and holding his nose, feeling the blood pour out. "Fuck! That fucking hurt!"

Gabriella didn't take any notice. Instead she bent her head over the toilet and spilled the contents that had been bubbling up in her stomach since she swallowed that first gulp of alcohol; the horrid and strong taste still fresh on her tongue.

"This party sucks!" Troy moaned as the pain continued to rip through him.

"Tell me about it!" Gabriella called out in a high pitched tone as her head lifted from the basin. "I'm behind with my chemistry homework, I've been 'made over' by _Sharpay freakin' Evans_, I've lost the page I was on in my book and some stupid drunk prat has probably puked all over it, I've had a made-up alcoholic beverage fed to me which probably included bleach and pigs blood and now I've vomited in some stranger's bathroom and…and…" her eyes widened when she saw the guy sitting beside her; his eyes soft on her and blood covering the hand he had held over his nose. "And…I've killed you."

"Hey." Troy shrugged. "It was all in the name of being polite and not puking all over some stranger's living room, right?"

"Well, yeah," Gabriella scratched her head and looked away embarrassed. "But I didn't mean to… I mean… Sharpay gave me this drink and it tasted _horrid_ and then I could feel myself about to vomit and…"

"…A little help over here?" Troy offered with a small smile as the brunette remembered her surroundings and scrambled onto her feet clumsily.

"Oh! Oh, yeah, sorry!" Gabriella fumbled quickly through the cabinets; pulling out a hand towel and throwing it towards him. "Here…a towel… for, you know, your nose."

"I gathered." Troy picked it up and replaced his hand with it, wincing slightly when the pain still refused to subside. "Fuck…"

Gabriella watched as he held the blood-soaked towel to his face, his eyes clenching shut as he pressed it over and over to the stop the bleeding. She played with her fingers nervously, not sure what to do; her eyes darting from him to the floor as she debated her next course of action. "No, you're doing it wrong." She mumbled. Troy looked up questionably at her; his eye brow rising as the petite girl slowly made her way towards him and knelt down beside him. "You've got to tilt your head back to stop the bleeding." Ever so gently, Gabriella took the towel from him and with her other hand, she tilted his chin upwards; pressing the towel timidly back against his nose. "Like that."

"Oh." Troy mumbled back pathetically; feeling embarrassed that he was being tended to by a complete stranger. Though he could no longer see her in his direct view, he could feel the shivers she caused him emit everytime she applied the slightest pressure to his nose. Her fingers were still resting delicately under his chin and he wondered whether she had realised the subtle effects she was having on him. "Is it broken?" He swallowed.

"No." Came her gentle reply. "And the bleeding is finally stopping. I think you'll pull through and live at least another day."

Troy smirked at her response. "How are you doing?" He asked as she removed the towel from his face and disposed of it in the trash can. Troy levelled out his head, feeling the blood rush to his cheeks. "I mean, how's the stomach and the, uh, vomiting?"

"It's good, thanks." Gabriella smiled as she sat back against the bathtub beside him. "Just don't let me go anywhere near any alcohol from now on and keep Sharpay away from me at all costs. It's because of her I drank the damn thing in the first place."

"Woah." Troy shook his head slowly. "Sharpay, ay? No wonder you were puking. All I'd have to do was look at the bitch and I'd be feeling nauseous." Gabriella giggled and Troy found he liked the noise. "She a friend of yours?"

"No." Gabriella answered quickly and confidently. "No, no, no, _no_. Me and Sharpay? Total opposites. I'm from planet earth and she's from planet zog. Although she likes to think the opposite. And tonight, she practically drags me to this stupid party to 'educate' me and apparently she's adopted me. It's like she's trying to make me another Sharpette and I'm sorry but I have brains, dammit!"

The look on her face was deadly serious but Troy couldn't help but laugh at her outburst – the way she rambled and how her face scrunched up in disgust as she spoke. "And I'm very impressed by your brains." Troy chuckled as her chocolate orbs meshed with his. "So, random girl with excellent thinking skills, do you have a name or—"

"Gabriella!" Both winced as the bathroom door swung open and Sharpay appeared, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion and brief panic when she saw the two sitting on the floor by the bathtub. "What are you--? Why are you--?"

"I puked." Gabriella smiled, using Troy's choice of phrasing. "Don't bother trying to get me to drink anymore, Sharpay, because I won't."

Sharpay darted her eyes to Troy, who was sitting her smirking smarmily at her. "What the fuck happened to your face, you retard?" Sharpay shot with an amused smile. "Gabriella, did you hit him?"

Looking guilty beyond words and ignoring Sharpay's victorious grin when she worked out the obvious, Gabriella lifted her shoulders up and down in a small shrug. "Um… well, yeah, I guess. With the door. But I didn't really intend—"

"Wow!" Sharpay folded her arms and grinned in Troy's direction; embedding the memory of Troy Bolton with a red and bloodied nose in her mind. "You're honestly surprising me this evening. I'd still say you had a long way to go before you even reach semi-cool but once everyone hears you hit _him _and gave _him _a nose bleed… just, _wow_, girl, _wow_. I'm very impressed."

"Up yours, Evans." Troy rolled his eyes dramatically. "It was a damn accident."

"Yeah and I reckon that's what you'll tell all your friends when they find out you were hit by a girl." Sharpay bent down and grabbed a hold of Gabriella's hand again. Gabriella struggled against her as she was pulled to her feet and Troy scrambled up into a standing position, a frown breaking out on his features as he watched how the scowling blonde handled the stubborn brunette. "Come on."

"Sharpay! Let go!"

"Evans, come on," Troy held out his hand towards Gabriella, trying to offer help. "Leave her."

"I'm going to take orders from you?" Sharpay scoffed. "Easier said than done. And Gabriella, you stupid girl, don't ever think you need to apologise to the likes of _him_."

"Wait. What?" Gabriella blinked owlishly. "What do you--?"

Sharpay dragged her out of the bathroom without another word, leaving Troy standing there speechless and confused.


	3. You and You

**A/N: Yeah. I know. No, seriously. I. Know.**

**Yes, I know. I gathered. --holds out wrist--**

**Slap it. I'm naughty.**

**Okay, but, like, three updates in two days… you'll forgive me, right? Right? RIGHT?**

"**Sparks" and "Live and Let Spy" are my main priorities right now. Promise. Chapters have been started and are currently in the works. Keep ya eyes peeled - they shall be posted.**

**Enjoy, y'all!**

**This ones for Ayen x She knows why! ;) **

**Holly xx**

**Three: You and You**

"Oh, for fucks sake," Troy feigned annoyance but couldn't keep the wide grin from his face as he laid eyes on his cousin who was sprawled out on his couch; a suitcase sitting on the floor beside her. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

Caroline Bolton stretched her legs and grinned in his direction. "Baby cousin," she drawled sarcastically. "I freaking knew you missed me."

Troy shoved his hands into his pockets and tried his hardest not to look pleased she was there. "Like a hole in a parachute," he replied nonchalantly, taking in her mock-hurt expression. "But seriously, tell me this is a short visit. Tell me you're going to fuck off pretty soon."

Caroline shook her head; her gaze and grin equally mischievous. "Sorry, sweetie; I'm here for a while. There's no classes left for the rest of the semester - just plain, old, boring coursework. And where would I rather spend the next couple of months?"

"Please say back in New York."

Caroline shook her head slowly; playfully. "Nah. I asked Uncle Jack if I could stay here for a while and he was more than happy to let me." Troy groaned loudly. "As long as I keep up with my homework and keep you in line, of course." She winked, standing up and making her way over to Troy. He was only two years her junior, but the two relatives had been close from a very young age. He would never admit out loud that he missed her when she moved to New York to attend N.Y.U two years previous - he was thinking about admitting it when she was on her death bed before confessing that it was him who pulled off three of her Barbie's heads when she was eight. "I heard something completely gross about you though."

"Oh yeah?" Troy smirked devilishly. "And what was that?"

Caroline scrunched her nose. "Uncle Jack says you've got a girlfriend."

"And?"

"Is she blind?"

"You are so fucking hilarious, bitch."

Caroline laughed and reached up to pinch his cheeks. "It's not my fault you're so weird looking, is it? I tried to tell Aunt Lucy to give you away to martians after you were born but she just wouldn't listen. Said that just because you're ugly, doesn't mean you don't have feelings."

"Oh my god; you're just full of wit today. What? Have you been storing it up since the last time I saw you?"

Caroline patted his cheeks in mock affection, pursing her lips in an over exaggerated air-kiss fashion as Troy looked at her bemused. "You know you've missed me, Baby Bolton. Don't even dare deny it. Anyway, let's get onto the more important stuff. When am I meeting this Heather chick?"

Troy's eyes widened in pure horror and he stepped back away from the grinning girl as she nodded her head enthusiastically. "Oh no, hell no!" Troy held his hands up in defence as Caroline tried to swat them away. "Oh no, you ain't meeting her."

"What? Why?"

"Because it's you!"

"And?"

"You'll tell baby stories and scare her away!"

Caroline put on her best offended glare and folded her arms tightly around her chest. "Name me one time I did that to you!"

Troy held up his hand and proceeded to count on his fingers. "Julia, Tate, Emma, Emily, Jo, Amy--"

"Okay! Okay!" Caroline rolled her eyes dramatically. "It's only because I care about you! If they can't handle your baby stories then they aren't worthy of your - how did you put it? - your 'Bolton charm'. Come on; don't be such a pansy and let me meet her!"

"No!"

"Troy!"

"No!"

"Come on, no baby stories, I promise. At least… I'll get through the first meeting with no baby stories. You're always calling me and asking me for advice on how to handle these brainless chicks and I need to make an informed decision before I decide to 'scare' her away."

"You're not meeting her."

"Fine," Caroline huffed. "Then I'm telling Uncle Jack that it was you who broke his basketball trophy; not Chad."

Troy glared at the blonde with daggers in his eyes. As cool as a cucumber, he pulled out his cell and looked for Heather's number. "You wanna meet her over ice cream or pizza?"

--

"And, this, Gabriella, is a social establishment we human beings like to call… _an ice cream parlour_." Ellie, Audrey and Dee giggled hysterically from behind Sharpay as Gabriella rolled her eyes and sighed as Mattie nudged her hip with his in encouragement.

"Ooh." The brunette deadpanned. "I thought these kind of places were myths."

"Oh, come on, Gabs," Mattie chuckled at his sister who had done nothing but scowled since he and Jake had practically forced her out of the house a half hour earlier. "It's not like we've brought you to a basketball game or anything. It's ice cream."

"Ice cream good. Your brainless friends; bad." Gabriella pointed over to the large group of jocks and cheerleaders - all representing their school by wearing West High Knights t-shirts. She had never gotten along with Mattie and Jake's friends - the vast majority of them finding amusement in knocking into her deliberately in the hallways and stealing her homework. Of course, she never admitted to her brothers what their friends were really like - Jake and Mattie had always been protective of her that she didn't dare for fear of what they'd do. She'd heard the stories of the Knights and Wildcats rivalry - heard her brother's boasts about how they had started yet another fight with East High; about how bad they had beaten up the guys they claimed to be 'the enemy'. In Gabriella's mind, it was stupid, it was brainless, it was pointless. It was only basketball. Just a dumb sport.

Beside her, Sharpay slapped her forehead and reached forward to grasp Gabriella's wrist. "I'm trying my damn hardest, Mattie," she declared dramatically. "I even tried to give her a goddamn make-over and you know what she did?"

Mattie smiled and threw an arm over his sisters shoulders. "No, Sharpay. Please enlighten me."

"She broke my eye-pencil. In half! My _best_ eye-pencil! And then she said my eye shadow was_ horrid_. _Horrid!_"

"Gabriella Montez, you didn't!" Mattie feigned horror and Gabriella tried her hardest not to laugh.

"She nearly poked out my eye."

"Because you were wiggling!" Sharpay fumed.

"Can we please go in?!" One of the basketball players interrupted in an annoyed tone. "We're supposed to be shooting some hoops in the park in an hour."

Mattie rolled his eyes as Jake led the group into the ice cream parlour. Gabriella let out a small sigh as she allowed her brother to lead her inside.

--

"Excuse me," Heather said sweetly. "I just spotted Kirstie - just going to go say hi."

"West High is here?" Troy groaned; his face falling into his hands. "Like I wanna get into a fight here. Where are they?"

Heather slid out of the small booth that was situated in the back-half of the large Albuquerque ice cream parlour and peeked around the corner where she saw Jake and Matthew Montez sitting at the head of a large table that was occupied by the entire West High basketball team and cheerleader squad. "At the front," she replied with a reprimanding glare. "Honestly, Troy. You guys need to stop this stupid feud."

"You're telling me?" Troy asked astonished. "You know how much those Montez twins piss me off - you think I _enjoy _being in their presence?"

"Because they beat the crap out of you everytime?" Caroline piped up from the other side of the booth, shoving another large spoon of vanilla ice cream in her mouth.

Troy turned back to his cousin, flabbergasted. "There's _two of them, _Caroline! _Two! _And they don't beat me up _everytime_ … me and Chad have scored way more points against them and I'm not just talking about on the court!"

"Meh. Whatever." Caroline mused, taking another spoonful. Heather looked between the two and rolled her eyes.

"I'm going to speak to Kirstie." The cheerleader walked away; leaving Troy to huff in annoyance loudly before flopping back into place in the booth. He didn't dare look up at his cousin whom he knew was sitting there with a smug grin on her face.

"Seriously, how many more ways can you piss me off? Oh wait." Troy paused at the knowing glare Caroline was giving him. "Go ahead. Give the Caroline verdict. Get it over and done with."

Caroline shrugged her shoulders. "She's -- she's okay, I guess."

"Wait. What?" Troy's eyes widened. "A positive comment?"

Again, Caroline shrugged her shoulders. "Not necessarily. She's just okay. She's nothing special, Troy. She's just meh."

"Meh?" Troy blinked. "What the hell is _meh_?"

"Just meh. Nothing really. She's a nice enough girl - and she's got more brains than all of your exes put together."

"So?" Troy pressed.

"So… she's just…" Caroline waved her hands around, trying to find the right words. "She's just not… you."

"What the fuck is that meant to mean?"

"Honestly," Caroline gave off a guilty smile. "I have no idea. There's just something about her and I don't know what it is. She doesn't compliment you."

"_You _don't compliment me!"

Caroline chuckled and playfully swatted his bicep. "Not like _that_, you moron! You need someone more… different. It's like you date the same girls over and over again and none of them are interesting or funny or… right! They're all the freaking same - it's your first girlfriend you had when you were thirteen - just cloned! You need someone who challenges you. Someone who drives you crazy that you don't know what to do half the time. Someone who just sparks. Some like --"

"Hey." Caroline broke her sentence as Troy spoke up and found him looking at a petite brunette. The pretty girl looked happy to see him and breathed a sigh of relief as she locked eyes on him. Troy stood up slowly, approaching her. "Hey," he said again. "What are you--?"

"Doing here?" The girl broke him off with a frustrated sigh. "Dying, is what I'm doing. Totally dying. But you -- what are you doing here?"

Troy grinned. "Having ice cream. In an ice cream parlour. Funny, I had no idea up until now they actually sold ice cream in these kind of places."

The girl blew her fringe out of her eyes and smiled. "Sharpay made me come."

"Sharpay?" Troy chuckled. "You let her man-handle you _again_? Ever heard of the phrase 'fuck off'?"

"Clearly she hasn't. Can I hide in here for a bit? They think I've just gone to the bathroom but I might just accidentally sneak out while they're not looking."

Troy laughed and gestured with his hand for her to slide into the booth, as far as she could go. As he took a seat beside her, Caroline coughed loudly and grinned. "Yes?" Troy asked.

"Introduce me?"

The girl giggled softly at this. "I, uh, don't even know his name actually. And he doesn't know mine."

Caroline frowned and looked between the two. "You don't know each other's names?" Troy and the girl shook their heads. "Then how the hell--? I mean, what the hell--? How the fuck--? _What?!_"

"We kinda met at this party last week," Troy filled in. "And she, uh, opened a door in my face and made my nose bleed."

Caroline nodded approvingly. "I like you already."

Troy ignored her. "And then as we got talking that spawn of Satan - also known as Sharpay Evans - walked in and man-handled her and then I didn't see her for the rest of the night and --" Troy stopped and turned to look at the brunette beside him. "I'm Troy."

"Gabriella." The girl replied with a small smile. "Wow. It's taken two meetings for us to actually learn one another's names."

"It's okay," Caroline waved her off. "I'm Caroline, by the way. The poor girl who is related to him. Troy's so slow that sometimes I wonder why he isn't moving backwards."

"Thanks, Caroline."

"No worries, hun." Gabriella chuckled at the exchange between the two. "So, you at East High, Gabriella?"

"West."

"Uh oh." Caroline grinned in Troy's direction. "The enemy."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Oh, please don't. I've had enough of the whole stupid rivalry. It's ridiculous. It's all about _sport_ for goodness sake! Who cares about sport?"

"Uh, I do." Troy sheepishly raised his hand. Caroline's eyes just beamed in amusement.

"You don't like any sport, Gabriella?"

"Nope."

"Not even basketball?" Caroline raised an eyebrow.

"Hell, no." Gabriella scrunched up her nose in disgust. "It's a bunch of sweaty guys, dribbling a ball and throwing it in a net. Wow. Great achievement. And where's the excitement?" Gabriella quickly turned to face Troy, who had gone beetroot-red. "Seriously, Troy? You like this game?"

"Well, uh, I -- uh--"

"Sorry," Caroline butted in. "He can get a little retarded when he's intimidated by girls."

"Caroline!"

"_Where the fuck has she gone?!" _

"Holy shit!" Gabriella picked up a menu in haste and covered her face with it desperately as the voice of Sharpay Evans echoed through the room. Caroline raised a bemused eyebrow as Gabriella threw the menu back onto the table and groaned before slipping under the table. Troy and Caroline stretched their legs simultaneously, blocking the crouching girl from view as Sharpay rounded the corner and looked at them both in shock. Troy waved at her with a sarcastic smirk on his face and Sharpay showed him the finger in response before stomping towards the rear of the store. "Has she gone?" Came a small squeak from under the table.

Troy had to chuckle at the situation, feeling her forehead accidentally colliding with his knee again. "Yeah - but she'll be back. Stay there."

"Well, it's not like I can go anywhere, is it?"

Caroline shook her head with a smile and studied Troy with interest. He looked different - more different than he did three minutes previous when Heather was sitting at the table informing Caroline all about cheerleading practice and yoga. Troy spotted the gaze his cousin was giving him and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"What?" He asked flatly. "What now?"

"Nothing," she shrugged. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"I'm dying under here," Gabriella hissed. "Troy, can you move your leg a bit? It's almost at the back of my throat!"

"Nothing's wrong!" Troy hissed back to Caroline, ignoring Gabriella's indignant grunts of protest.

Caroline gave her younger cousin a knowing smirk; rolling her eyes as Troy moved his leg and accidentally bumped Gabriella in the head. "I can read you like a freaking book," Caroline scoffed. "You're so obvious."

"Obvious? Where? _Wha?_"

The clunking of Sharpay Evans' heels along the tiled floor brought Troy back down to earth; his blood boiling at the obvious smirk on his cousin's face. God, she was infuriating.

"_Bolton!" _Sharpay screeched loudly, making Troy jump six feet in the air. "What the fuck have you done with her?"

There was silence from beneath the table and once again, Troy and Caroline each positioned their legs; keeping Gabriella from view. "With who?" Troy tried to look as annoyed as possible - which wasn't hard considering the situation.

"You know who. You think you're so fucking clever all the time. Like at that party last week? You're just so fucking lucky I didn't tell Mattie you were there."

"Like I'd give a shit if you did."

"He'd kill you if he knew you were talking to Gabriella."

"What the fuck does she have to do with anything? Newsflash, Evans; it's a free country."

Their murderous glares were interrupted as Heather made her way back reluctantly to the booth; shooting Caroline a timid smile - speaking volumes about how much her boyfriend's cousin intimidated her. Caroline returned the gesture half-heartedly - it wasn't her fault her cousin was such a major loser who picked meh girls to date.

"What's going on?" Heather sighed as she gestured for Troy to move up. Troy didn't budge. "Are you two fighting _again?_"

"Me and Evans? _Fighting?_" Troy feigned shock. "Now where would you get a crazy idea like that?"

Sharpay stood her ground; her eyes narrowed into slits and arms folded tightly over her sequined-covered chest. "Where. Is. She?"

"I. Don't. Know. Who. You. Mean." Troy shot back.

Heather groaned, slapping her hand to her forehead whilst trying to nudge Troy's legs with her knee. "Baby, would you please just _stop _and move up so I can sit down?"

"There's no room," Troy answered lamely, igniting a chuckle from Caroline.

"Don't be ridiculous, Troy. I was just sitting there five minutes ago."

"Troy needs space to, uh…" Caroline drifted off, ignoring Troy's death glare. "To, uh, breathe?"

"Lame," Troy stated coolly.

Heather ignored their mini argument and proceeded in climbing over Troy's legs in an unfashionable manner. There was a small squeak from beneath the table, causing Sharpay's hazel eyes to narrow further and look upon the offending occupants suspiciously.

"Heather, what the fuck are you doing?"

"If you won't move…" Her legs swung over his and the blonde fell back onto the seat heavily; feeling as though she had bruised her backside as she landed. Frustrated at her boyfriend for not even moving an inch to help her in her task, Heather sighed loudly and stretched out her legs violently beneath the table, jumping in shock as an obvious squeal erupted from nowhere. "What the hell?!"

Gabriella crawled out from beneath the table on her hands and knees; her hair wild and her eyes dangerous. "Thanks for the unnecessary attack in the face with your heel," she directed to Heather, who looked shocked beyond belief.

"I freaking knew it!" Sharpay glared at her menacingly; bending down to grasp a hold of the brunette's wrist. "What the hell are you playing at?"

Gabriella scrambled to her feet, looking more annoyed than anything. "I don't need a babysitter, Sharpay."

"No, you need a fucking therapist!" Sharpay shot back; her monstrous claws almost biting in Gabriella's skin.

"Evans, just back off, will you?" Troy called irritably. "Stop treating her like she's a fucking doll. If she doesn't want to go with you then leave her be."

"_You're _one to talk!" Sharpay growled. "If I wanted to witness a scene, I'd waste no time in letting Jake and Mattie know you're here. It's fucking lucky for you I've got too much on my plate with this socially retarded geek."

Troy stood up abruptly. "Evans," he warned. "Leave her alone."

"No, it's okay, Troy," Gabriella let out a sigh. "I'll just steal a fork on my way out and stick it in my eye. I'll be sound as a pound."

Troy couldn't help but smile at her as Sharpay reprimanded her and dragged her away from them; heading back to where the West High crowd were sitting. He didn't notice Heather standing up beside him and nudging his bicep as harshly as she could muster - spitting out a poisonous _"What the hell was that?!" _before stomping away in a huff towards the exit; no doubt expecting him to follow.

Caroline strolled up casually beside him; a knowing smirk refusing to leave her features. She folded her arms and followed Troy's gaze to where Gabriella was now sitting - the West High group oblivious to his presence as she boredly sat with her head propped up against her hand; making it blindly obvious she wanted nothing more than to acquaint her eye with a sharp object.

"You and you," Caroline stated simply, finally causing Troy to turn his head to her.

"--what?"

"You asked for my opinion about Heather and I gave it."

Troy turned his gaze back to Gabriella. "Yeah, what was it again? Meh? That's not even a fucking word."

"It is in _my_ dictionary. Heather's meh, Troy. She always will be. And while that's not necessarily a bad thing, she'll never be enough for what you need."

"Oh yeah?" Troy raised an eyebrow, looking back to his amused cousin. "And what the hell would you know about what I need, bitch?" The humour laced his voice and Caroline let out a chuckle as she focused her eyes on Gabriella intently.

"You need someone just like her."


	4. Meh?

**A/N: …and you know you love me! Yes, updates are scarce but I need time to perfect! I'm really getting into this story and my muse is making me picture hella hilarious scenarios that can only be associated with this plot. Oh, hell yes, this is gonna be fun!**

**Thanks to all for reviews and PM's -- really appreciate and they mean a lot ;) y'all rock xx**

**Four: Meh?**

Troy Bolton picked at his sandwich lazily, earning himself confused glares from Chad Danforth who in turn kept nudging his own girlfriend in response to his bewilderment.

The East High cafeteria was beginning to fill up with hungry students; ready to fill their faces with greasy food in order to increase their brain activity for all their afternoon lessons -- or something completely different, anyway. Troy sat at the usual table in the centre of the room; where all the jocks and cheerleaders situated themselves; save, of course, for Taylor McKessie: geek extraordinaire and exception due to the fact she was dating Chad.

"Are you going to ask or shall I?" Taylor raised a bemused eyebrow, glancing in Troy's direction once again. "Because, honestly, he's starting to freak me out."

"You're telling me." Chad huffed and reached his arm out to knock against Troy's bicep. "Yo, dude; wake up!" Chad's action made Troy spring up in his chair and blink heavily; as if returning from La-La Land. "Jeez, what is with you today?" Chad asked, exasperated.

"Nothing," Troy finally sighed heavily, returning back to the daunting task of picking apart his sandwich. "I'm just… thinking."

"About what?" Chad frowned.

"Stuff."

"Yeah. That narrows it down."

Troy merely sighed again; his eyes cast down at the table and his mind deep in thought. His cousin always had that effect on him - she knew exactly how to act and exactly what to say in order to get his mind cogs turning at every little issue she wanted him to think over. Since the very second Caroline had met Heather, she'd been working in overdrive to get his mind cogs turning at the prospect of his girlfriend being, well, meh. What the hell was meh, anyway?

"I'm officially worried." Chad folded his arms. "We got a workout free period and Troy's on planet zog. Have you and Heather had a domestic?"

"No."

"Have you and Caroline already had _another _domestic?"

"No; well, yeah. But that goes without saying anyway."

"I love her," Taylor gushed. "Seriously, you need to get her out with us again, Bolton. We haven't seen her since she got back."

Troy shrugged his shoulders. "And you might not get to see her, guys. She may have been accidentally but _very _brutally murdered before day breaks tomorrow."

Chad couldn't help but grin. "Why, what has she done now?"

"She met Heather yesterday--"

"--what?" Chad held both his hands up; his shoulders straightening and his eyes wide. "Wait; _what_? She met Heather? Dude! I didn't know you felt serious towards her!"

Troy's brows furrowed. "I don't."

Chad picked up a handful of ketchup-drenched fries and shoved them into his mouth, causing Taylor to grimace and pull a face in his direction. "Well, obviously you do. At least, something semi-serious. You _never _introduce your girlfriends to Caroline -- not unless you _think _it _might _progress into something more."

"And for you, Troy, that's serious," Taylor added, helping herself to some of Chad's meal. "And, really? _Heather? _You think it's gonna get semi-serious with _Heather_?"

"Woah! What?" Troy deadpanned. "Serious? Me? Heather? No way, no how! What the-- That's not what I mean!"

"Well why else would you introduce her to Caroline?"

"She made me."

Taylor scoffed. "You're scared of her?"

"Duh." Troy and Chad replied.

"Oh, please," Taylor shook her head. "It still makes a bold statement - even to Heather. I bet she's screeching about it to all of her cheerleaders friends right now."

"Not really," Troy shrugged nonchalantly. "She kinda stormed out at the end and now, because I didn't follow her, she's pissed at me. I'm getting the silent treatment."

Chad couldn't help but laugh loudly. "I love your cousin! I mean, I think Heather's cool too but Caroline? She's amazing! What the hell did she do to make her leave?"

"She uh…" Troy broke off, not even daring to try and attempt to explain the series of events that had happened in the last week. He didn't even know where to begin. "I guess Heather caught on that Caroline wasn't really all that impressed."

Chad and Taylor simultaneously each raised an eyebrow; sly smiles on their faces. "Can we have the Caroline verdict or are you going to keep us in suspense?"

Troy knew that if his head wasn't so fucked up with images of the most indescribable but beautiful brunette he'd ever met, he would have laughed at the predictability of his friends. Every time Caroline visited, there was always a different girl in his life; a new meeting to take place and a whole new Caroline verdict to discover with bated breath. Chad had known her from a very young age having been best friends with Troy since pre-school but Taylor had been so impressed beyond belief, she'd wanted her own Caroline verdict and practically squealed in response when the elder Bolton had announced she really liked her.

"She…" Troy broke off again, staring back down at his sandwich. "She said that Heather was… _meh_."

"Meh?" Chad repeated sceptically; his brows furrowed. "What the hell is _meh?_"

Troy shrugged again, irritably. "I don't know! I spent all last night lying in bed trying to figure it out! Caroline said she doesn't compliment me."

"Dude, _Caroline _doesn't compliment you."

"I know!"

Taylor sat and observed the two boys, smirked to herself at the situation at hand. Caroline Bolton was the only person on the entire planet that could make Troy act this way -- usually he was chilled, mellowed out; the most relaxed person you could ever meet. All Caroline would have to do was walk into a room and within minutes Troy would turn into this hyperactive wreck who needed to know every damn thing she was thinking. It amused their friends to no end.

"I think what she means is that Heather isn't anything special," she supplied helpfully. "And I think she means that while she's nice, she's not really your type."

"Then why doesn't she say that? Why does she have to make up freaking words to get her point across?"

"Heather is hot though," Chad mused, causing Taylor's eyes to narrow dangerously. "I mean, ugh," his palms started sweating. "Uh, she's hot but not in the _obvious _way that you'd want her to be your girlfriend because she's… uh… meh?"

"Oh holy fuck!" Troy groaned, burying his face in his hands and banging his elbows on top of the table. "She _is _so meh. Whatever the fuck that means."

Chad backed away from his girlfriend's hard stare nervously, easing closer to Troy for comfort. Troy lifted his head and scowled; moving onto the next available chair before the entire school started questioning his and Chad's 'close' relationship.

"So, uh…" Chad smiled brightly in Taylor's direction to try and ease the mind torture she was bestowing on him. "Caroline's really got you thinking about Heather, huh?"

"Thinking? More like _killing myself_," Troy sighed. "There's this constant need I've had my entire life to make Caroline wrong -- just _once _I'd love to prove her wrong. Hey, maybe I make things serious with Heather. Maybe I tell her I love her… when actually, I don't, but still! If I actually focused my entire attention on her and think of her in the serious way as opposed to _just another girlfriend_, maybe I can prove Caroline wrong and she can take back that stupid meh comment."

"Or you can just admit that she's right once again," Taylor smiled as Troy looked at her pleadingly. "And you can't base a relationship on wanting to get one over on your cousin. It doesn't work like that."

"Oh, yeah? Then how does it work? Because from where I'm sitting it's just one big uncomfortable and confusing mess. Like… feeling like you want to be sick but in a good way. And knowing you shouldn't want to like feeling sick because it's just plain wrong and you'd end up marrying and creating babies that are half human half pure evil."

Taylor and Chad once again swapped bewildered expressions. "Are we still talking about Heather?" Chad mumbled.

Troy just ignored him and ran a hand through his matted hair again. "I'm just… re-thinking things through. Looking at my life. I mean, honestly, can you see us together? Can you see me getting serious with Heather?"

"Troy," Chad shook his head, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation which had gone from manly concern to girly feelings talk. "I can't ever see you getting serious with _anyone_. Except maybe Scarlett Johansson.

She's hot."

"And you know blondes aren't my type."

Taylor pulled a face. "So… remind me why you're with Heather in the first place?"

Troy let his head fall forwards and banged his forehead against the hard surface of the table as a flash of West High brunette beauty intimidated his mind. "I have no freaking idea."

Taylor had to smirk at the situation. "I love your cousin."

--

Gabriella Montez enjoyed chemistry.

It was the only thing in life she really understood. It was the one thing she could just get on with and enjoy and not feel pressured and pushed into anything. It was also another subject that Sharpay Evans just couldn't understand and for that, she was grateful.

Being a member of the West High Scholastic Decathlon allowed her that extra escape when the final bell of the day rang at school. She would pack up her things, literally run from her final lesson and towards her locker before Sharpay and he ever trusty Sharpettes caught up with her -- their frustrating desire to "adopt" her causing Gabriella serious premature aging.

Today had been no exception.

She'd ignored Sharpay's grunts of protests as she ran from the classroom; not even bothering to bypass to her locker before making her way to the science wing where best friend and captain Nathalie Schultz was waiting with the rest of the team.

"Montez!" Her daydream was significantly lifted by the sharp pounding of text books on the table in front of her. Lifting her eyes, she looked up at Nathalie, who was standing there was a raised brow and a bemused expression on her face. "Daydreaming? Are ya kidding me, girl?"

Gabriella shook her head violently, bringing herself back to the real world and cleared her throat abruptly. "Sorry, Nat. Was just thinking."

"About…?"

"Uh, physics. Of course."

"Yeah, sure," another voice popped up and Nathalie and Gabriella lifted their heads to look across the room at Berry, who was sitting there with a smug smile on her face. "Believe me, all, I know everything. She was thinking about boys."

"Since when does Gabriella think about boys?"

"Yeah!" Face flushed and lips quivering, she really did not match her confident tone. "Of all people, I can't believe you'd accuse me of that! I'm just tired, that's all. You'd be like that too if you had Sharpay Evans around you twenty-four-seven insisting that she should give you a make over!"

"You know," Nathalie stepped away from her friend; her index finger pressed to her chin in thought. "I heard that Will Jessop is developing a bit of a crush on you." Looking at her best friend pleadingly, Nathalie placed her palms together in a praying position. "Please don't tell me it's him, Gabi. Please don't. He's an asshole and a wanker and a jerk-off and… and… oh my god, do I need anymore reasons?"

Gabriella scrunched her nose up disgustedly. "Ew. No! _If_ I was thinking about a boy and I mean a very big, gigantic, massive, huge _if_, it most definitely wouldn't be him. And not just for those reasons aforementioned either. You guys know my allergy to basketball."

"I don't know," Berry pondered. "Your brothers are pretty hot. What?" She exclaimed as all ten pairs of eyes turned to her in the room. "They are! And they're supposed to be! West High royalty and all… it would just be unnatural if they weren't."

"It's unnatural for any of the following sentences to not be used in our household: basketball, East High and cheerleaders. Oh, and Sharpay Evans. Now can we move on?" Still flushed and embarrassed to high heaven, Gabriella threw open her textbook and picked up her pencil. "We have a competition to study for here."

"Whatever." Berry proceeded in picking up her nail file and focusing on her cuticles. "I'm just saying, I already know everything. Math, physics, chemistry, biology… the fact that Nat is super confident we're going to beat all regional schools in the competition despite having little or no faith in me or Wally over there." A small ginger-haired boy with large black rimmed glasses pushed his nose further into his book nervously. "And the fact that Gabriella Montez's mind is currently filled with boys -- not that I know which yet but I _will_ -- yeah, I'm pretty cool."

Gabriella scowled at the girl across the room and bit her tongue to the best of her ability. There were just far too many instruments and apparatus to choose from as a murder weapon.

In the far corners of her mind, she couldn't decide whether she was more angry over the fact that Berry was trying to start unnecessary gossip or whether it was because she was right on the mark.

--

"Tell me."

Caroline Bolton merely smirked and took another sip of her diet coke. "Huh?" She feigned ignorance.

"Ugh!" Troy flopped down on the couch opposite his cousin - stress, anxiety and paranoia taking over his form as he looked at her pleadingly. "I need you to tell me what to do, Caroline, and I want fucking honesty here. Should I dump her?"

Caroline shrugged and flipped the page of her celebrity magazine. "I don't know. Do you _want _to dump her?"

"You're the one who said she _meh_!"

"Which she is."

"So that means you want me to dump her, right?"

"I don't know," Caroline fought a grin. "Do you want to dump her?"

"But you're the one… _UGH!_" Troy placed himself back on his feet; his face red with anger and built up frustration that only she could pull out of him in the most simplest way. "Please stop torturing me."

"Me? Torturing?" Caroline set down her magazine and sat up straight; humour lacing in her eyes. "Why, Baby Bolton, I resent that accusation."

"And yet you don't deny it. You said yourself that she's nothing and I need something more from a girlfriend -- why aren't you helping me with this?"

"You asked for my opinion and I gave it. It's not like I have control over your feelings."

Troy narrowed his eyes. "Don't you?" He asked darkly.

"Well," Caroline finally allowed herself to grin. "Maybe a _little_. But that's beside the point. Do you want to be with her?"

"Meh." Troy shrugged his shoulders.

"She's blonde."

"Clever observation."

"You like brunettes."

"Well, she was just _there_, you know? And she was flirting and I'm weak and feeble… and…"

"There's nothing to her personality. She's nice and she's loyal and she's not an airhead. But that's all there is to her - there's no substance."

"Can you not just answer a question with a simple yes or no?"

"Excuse me for wanting to make you discover that thing situated inside your head. In case you were wondering, it's called a brain."

"Oh my god!" Troy started pacing the room; his angry steps almost wearing out the cream carpet. "Why am I related to you? Why oh why did you have to come here to stay? Why couldn't you have fucking stayed in New York? _Why_ won't you give me a break for _once _and help me out with this?"

Caroline couldn't help but chuckle. "You dumbass. If you stopped and thought for a moment that _maybe _you shouldn't be with her anyway if you're thinking these thoughts… you've just answered your own goddamn question."

"So that's a yes?"

"I don't know."

"_Caroline!_"

She merely rolled up her magazine and stood up, coming face-to-face with Troy. With a quick sweep, the rolled up magazine connected with the side of his head and he quickly ducked before she could swing again. "Be honest with me," she smiled daringly, making Troy scowl. "Is this just because I said Heather was meh or because you've totally got the hots for Gabriella?"

"Oh my god. I can't believe you're going to start accusing me of--"

"--so that's a yes?"

"Yes." Troy let the anger drown out as he succumbed to her challenge. "She's hot. And guess what? She's brunette!"

"A clever observation."

"And she's…" suddenly, he smiled. "She's hilarious. And completely strange… and absolutely fucks my head up because I haven't met anyone like that--" he paused, suddenly feeling vulnerable as a large and happy grin spread itself over Caroline's lips. "And, uh," he cleared his throat uncomfortably, reaching his hand up to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. "Uh, yeah, she's totally hot."

"And the fact that she attends West High is no problem?"

Troy's face fell. "Oh, don't start with the whole school rivalry shit. It's total bollocks."

Caroline's face lit up and she tilted her face up as though standing in a spotlight. "I can just picture the scene now…" she spread out her arms dramatically. "I can just see the story… Two schools. Both alike in dignity. In Fair Albuquerque where we lay our scene! From ancient grudge break to new mutiny. Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, a pair of star-crossed lovers unstuck the status quo…"

"Oh, Caroline, no," Troy groaned, falling back onto the couch in despair.

"O Troy, Troy… Where for out thou, Troy?"

"I'll kill you." He flung a pillow over his face and pressed himself into it.

"It is the east and Gabriella is the sun…"

"I hate that you study literature."

"Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say goodnight 'til it be 'morrow!"

"And I hate that I'm fucking studying this damn play."

"Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again!"

"Caroline."

"Did my heart love 'til now? Forswear its sight. For I never saw true beauty 'til this night!"

"_CAROLINE!"_

Giggling, she saw back down on her seat; excitement and joy spilling out of her uncontrollably. "I'm sorry, Baby Bolton, it's just far too cute! And so Shakespeare!"

"It's _nothing_ like Shakespeare."

"Oh, is so. And the school feud is a stupid thing but so was the Capulet's and the Montague's! Lighten up! Dump meh Heather! Go find Gabriella-ella-ella-eh-eh-eh-"

"Caroline."

"Okay, okay," she laughed. "I'll quit with the songs and sonnets. But you'd already made your mind up before you'd even asked me and if you want my opinion, you've made the right one. She's extremely pretty, in your words 'hot' and she's got something about her that just fits with you. Believe me, I know."

Troy raised an unconvinced eyebrow. "Fine. Me and Heather are over. But as for your little stupid Shakespeare theory… I'm not going along with that. Yeah, she's gorgeous and yeah, I like her… but come on, I know nothing about her except that she's called Gabriella, she goes to West High," he cringed, "_hates _basketball, hates Sharpay Evans and that she pukes after taking one sip of alcohol."

Caroline clapped her hands together and smiled widely. "And I don't know about you, Troy, but I _really _like her already!"


	5. Free Falling

**A/N: Okay, I know I need to apologise for my lack of updates altogether. Life has just been so hectic that sleep has recently become my bestest friend in ze whole entire world.**

**I'm still alive and kicking -- and even though I'm hella pissed that 'I Feel Sparks' has been deleted since some stupidly evil person thought it would be fun to report it… yeah, I won't continue with this rant. I fear I may invent new swear words. Still, check my profile for information on it's future posting place ;)**

**Enjoy this one, guys. Had hella fun writing it! xx**

**Five: Free Falling**

West High School.

Coincidentally situated on the western side of Albuquerque.

Hiding not-so-subtly in the bushes beside the main entrance, Troy Bolton vaguely wondered whether he braved sneaking into their trophy room to gloat smugly at the lack of trophies.

It certainly would pass the time. Sitting in a bush for two hours had now officially become the most shit-boring thing to do in the world.

"I got snacks!" A sharp and cheerful voice suddenly rang out in his ears, causing him to jump and the bush to rattle with his movements.

"_Shh!"_

"Shush?" Caroline raised an eyebrow as she sat beside her cousin with crossed legs, splaying out the latest celebrity magazine on her lap and placing a large bag of cheetos and cans of red bull on the floor in front of her. "You're telling me to shush, boy?"

Troy narrowed his eyes. "We're undercover. You can't announce to a _bush _that you've brought snacks."

"This has got to be the most single retarded idea you've ever had, Troy. I can't believe you talked me into this."

"Talked _you _into this? You practically encouraged me to do something to find her."

"Yeah. I meant like looking her up in the yellow pages. Not hiding in a bush outside her school; which, may I add, is total suicide for you."

Troy frustratingly snatched the packet of cheetos and angrily ripped the packet open before shoving a mouthful of chips into his mouth. Moral support. That's what she said she'd be. Moral support. And, okay, so far that day, Caroline had been.

Saving the moment he'd chosen to dump Heather by phone and she'd proceeded in hitting him over the head with the phone soon after, stating that no girl deserved to be dumped in that manner.

"You said I had to do it sooner than later!" He'd argued, holding his hands up in defence of Caroline's flying hands.

"Not by phone!"

"Well, you never specified _how_!"

"You're an arrogant prick, Bolton! I can't believe I'm related to you!"

"It's done now! Now can we go find Gabriella?"

"You know, I asked Auntie Lucy for a puppy that Christmas. Instead, she freaking gives birth to you. Where is the justice in this world?!"

Yet even after their fiftieth domestic that morning, Caroline had gone along with Troy's initial plan to feign sickness - which subsequently caused Caroline herself to feel squeamish after witnessing Troy's genius yet cheesy acting abilities when it came to convincing his mother he was on the verge of death with the flu and simply could not go into school. Once Jack and Lucille had set off to their respective jobs, reassured that Caroline would "take extra good care" of Lucy's "baby boy", Troy had leapt out of bed and had started working out his master plan.

If she had known it would have involved West High, a bush and a very agitated Troy, Caroline would have committed suicide early that morning.

As his cellphone beeped for the hundredth time that day, Troy huffed and pulled it out of his pocket, observing yet another message from Chad.

"Seriously, can't he handle one day without me?"

Caroline grinned, opening her second can of red bull. "I think it's sweet. Maybe you should just hook up with Chad."

Troy curved an eyebrow. "Maybe you should just keep your opinions to yourself from now on."

"Why would I do that?" Caroline raised her eyes to look at him. "The last time I voiced my opinion, you got out of a relationship you didn't really want to be in in the first place. Granted you did so in a very piggish way and I've got half a mind to go see that poor girl tonight and totally rant with her about how you're an insensitive bastard--"

"You're going somewhere with this?"

"I heard her crying down the phone to you!"

Troy hid his face in his hands. "Okay, I know! I screwed up! I didn't mean to be a bastard… I just thought--"

"Boys," Caroline sighed dramatically. "You guys never think. Yeah, fair enough, you weren't interested in going any further with the relationship, but you should have had the decency to do so face-to-face."

"You already gave me this lecture and I've already told you I'll apologise, _mom_. But right now, I've got other things on my mind." Troy's eyes left hers to peek through the small gap in the leaves he'd created only an hour before. "Final bell should be going soon and we'll see her."

Caroline folded her arms smugly over her chest. "And how do you propose you'll get to her with herds of West High students hanging around? I've heard about those fights from Uncle Jack. There's no way no one won't recognise you."

"Does it seem strange to you that she doesn't recognise me?"

"She hates basketball, Troy. I doubt she'd know you when she obviously wouldn't attend any games."

Troy merely shrugged his shoulders. Truth was he really didn't care either way. The only thing that was nagging his mind was one scary thought -- how much of a lunatic he was acting over one girl.

One girl who he'd seen twice and who had subsequently almost broken his nose.

Sure, she was gorgeous. And she already made him laugh. But a lot of girls did that.

Didn't they?

He ran a hand through his hair tiredly; not even beginning to contemplate just how crazy this moment in his life truly was. His one aim had been just to see her - no Sharpay, no interruptions, no nothing. He didn't even realise in his state that he still had no clue about how he'd act upon seeing her - whether he'd stroll up to her and casually ask her out or stand there like a blithering idiot while she laughed in his face and rejected him.

Why had all this seemed so easy before?

He was used to girls following him around school like pathetic sheep -- used to their not-so-subtle tricks like pretending trip over in front of him just so he'd have no choice but to catch them and ask them sweetly if they were okay. He was used to the endless flirting and the occasional hook-up's the occurred at various parties; all of which meant nothing but harmless fun. He had never been the 'boyfriend' type, although he had participated in the whole relationship deal from time to time.

Sure, all these relationships had been short-lived. Troy got bored easily. He had found himself going for days without seeing his significant other and not really caring or missing the contact. He'd found himself getting increasingly annoyed with the incessant clingy girls who just felt they had to be around him twenty-four hours of the day.

All in all, his friends didn't hold any expectations of him ever really settling down with someone.

Heather had been the same as all the rest, and so they hadn't put themselves out to really bond with her. What was the point? It was only a matter of time before he would get bored with her and break up with her before moving on to the next fling or meaningless relationship.

More than anyone else, Caroline really didn't get her cousin.

He had so much going on for him -- a basketball scholarship at a top college was just calling out for him after he graduated high school. He achieved decent grades, perhaps wasn't entirely the alien look-alike she liked to call him, and wasn't a complete asshole to girls. In his defence, she knew, those girls all knew what they were getting themselves into.

She suspected they all had the same ambitions and false hopes.

To merely change him.

Thinking through these things, Caroline began to wonder just why she was sitting in a random bush outside West High School, waiting for some girl to come out so her cousin could smother her into his traditional Bolton charms. In the right mind, she knew she should really be pulling Troy away - telling him she already liked this Gabriella-girl too much to allow her mind to get fucked up by him as she helplessly free fell into his arms.

But something -- something in the mere look in his eyes, told her otherwise.

Told her that maybe something was different in her cousin.

Taking a deep breath, Caroline downed the last of her red bull and scrunched up the can, finally allowing herself to accept the current behaviours of Troy and what it could, or should, lead to.

"Do you know what you're gonna say to her?"

"_Shh!_" Troy hissed violently as the final bell sounded throughout the school.

"There's no one here, dumbass."

Troy ignored her comment. "Of course I know what I'm going to say. I'm not a total idiot."

Caroline smirked tightly. "Really? Could've fooled me."

"Do your job, please. What did you call yourself? _Moral support? _If this is you being moral support, you officially suck at it."

"And if this is you trying to be Romeo, you totally suck at it," she shot back. "Honestly. William Shakespeare so wouldn't approve of this."

Troy rolled his eyes. "He's dead, Caroline. I doubt he approves of much nowadays."

"Seriously though; a bush?"

"Seriously though; what else?"

"How about a balcony?"

"How the fuck do I know if she has a balcony?"

Caroline rolled her own eyes, as if stating the obvious. "Which is why you need to find her in a more conventional way."

"Without looking like a complete stalker? Yeah, good one."

Sarcasm never looked good on Troy Bolton. Still, it made Caroline chuckle to herself. Sarcasm may not look good on him but a genuine crush did.

The two finally fell silent and watched as students began to fall out of the front entrance of the school; random paper airplanes flying haphazardly in the air, whoops and hollers and cheers emitting from various sports stars; some of which Troy recognised from the basketball and football team. They didn't seem to be moving in the direction of the yellow buses; more like sitting themselves on the patch of green right opposite the entrance, trapping him in the bush beside them.

Oh, dear. Caroline was right.

He was going to die.

"Uh… maybe…" He breathed his newly found apprehension at the situation and Caroline glared at him wide-eyed as he spoke. "Maybe we should--?"

Caroline opened her mouth to squeak her protest. She hadn't counted on sitting in a bush all day with no end results. Hell, if he was going to die as a result of his stupid idea, then she, at least, wanted some drama to happen. Before the words could utter from her lips, Troy took in a sharp hissed breath.

Gabriella had left the building.

"It's her."

"Yup."

"Right…"

Caroline raised an eyebrow as she peeked over Troy's shoulder to see Gabriella heading past the jocks and towards the yellow buses; a friend in tow.

"This may be a good time to go over and talk to her, Troy. Once those bus doors open, she'll be gone again and we would have wasted an entire day sitting in a damn bush!"

"I'm going." His eyes kept focused ahead.

"Right. So, off you go then."

"I'm going."

No movement was made.

"Troy."

"What? I'm going. Any second now…"

"Do you need my foot up your ass?"

"What are you talking about? I'm fucking going already!"

Caroline sighed loudly. "Troy, in order for you to _actually _go to Gabriella, you actually need to leave the fucking bush." She paused. "Are you afraid of the jocks? Because, you know, I could distract…"

"By doing what? Flashing them?"

"You know me so well. I'm proud."

"I'm disturbed. And, no, not afraid of those idiots. Just… a bit… uh… What do I say?"

"You could start with 'hi'. Always works. Anyway, I thought you said you'd figured it all out?"

"I have."

"So, go deal with it."

Troy again made no movement.

"Troy… either you go now or I _will _go out there and flash--"

"I'm going! I'm going!"

Sighing aloud in frustration, Troy pulled his black beanie over his head as a pathetic method of disguise and moved his legs in an attempt to stand.

"Troy?"

"What?! I'm going!"

"No," Caroline narrowed her eyes. "It just might be an idea to lose the East High jacket…"

"Oh."

Sheepishly, he removed the offending item, letting it fall freely on Caroline's head before timidly standing and pulling his beanie down further on his head as he walked over in the direction of the brunette. His mind was a big plate of mush - the overly fantastic plan he'd worked out over the course of the day was no lying practically in ruins as he completely forgot what it was he wanted to say.

Okay, breathing might be a good start here.

This wasn't right. No girl should _ever_ make a male feel like this. It just wasn't natural.

Troy's mind was never a quivering wreck where girls were concerned. Well, except Caroline, but that was for completely different reasons.

He was pleased to note as he got closer to her that the girl she was laughing with wasn't Sharpay Evans, or that the evil blonde was anywhere in sight. Gabriella was standing just to the side of the yellow school buses, sporting a large navy blue West High hoodie, baggy jeans, sneakers and a blue shoulder bag which she seemed to be struggling with. Two thick mathematic textbooks were hugged tightly to her chest.

Oh, darn. He was falling for a brainiac.

Taylor would be so proud.

Troy stopped in his tracks. What the hell was he doing? She was so breathtakingly beautiful, so cute, so innocent… so weirdly funny. He was so out of her league.

For the first time in his life, he felt so clumsy and stupid. So completely out of his comfort zone -- suddenly so much needing those clingy and desperate cheerleaders to surround themselves around him so he would feel like a king and not a jester.

As he heard Gabriella's sweet laugh, one thing ran through his mind:

_Retreat! Retreat! Retreat!_

A sharp fingernail poked into his back.

"Ow! Caroline!" He hissed loudly, almost jumping out of his skin as his cousin shot into view. "What the hell?"

"What are you waiting for? She's right there…"

"I can see that. I just…" A hand came up to the back of his neck where he began to rub awkwardly. "I just can't…"

Bingo. A light bulb flickered brightly in Caroline's mind. "Why? I've not been hiding in a bush for nothing, Bolton."

Troy proceeded in running his hand through his hair in frustration. "It wasn't for nothing, okay? We've accomplished something out of this. That it was a shit-bad idea - the worst of all shit-bad ideas in the entire embassy of shit-bad ideas. She goes to this shit-bad school, she hates my absolute most favourite sport in the world, she's acquaintances with Sharpay Evans and most of all, she's too fucking beautiful for it to be natural." Troy took a deep breath. "And no one is a fan of unnatural things."

Caroline folded her arms and smiled. Definitely; that light bulb was flashing dangerously in her mind. "Too beautiful?"

"Way, way, _way_ too beautiful. She must be dysfunctional somewhere along the line. Can we leave now?"

"You're such a chicken." Her comment was meant to frustrate him more… and that it did. But over his shoulder, Caroline watched as Gabriella and her friend turned and began to walk in their direction, too engrossed in their own topic of conversation to focus on their exact path. She wanted to marvel at her own genius; present herself with her own utterly fantastic award.

"So what? You know, I'd rather be a chicken than… than…" Troy struggled for an alternative. "You know what? Maybe I just have general aspirations to be a chicken."

"Sure you don't." Caroline's eyes began to twinkle mischievously.

"Of course I do. Anything's better than this!"

"Than what?"

"Than thi-_woah!" _It only took one small shove on an unsuspecting Troy for him to go flying into a petite passer-by. And Caroline just couldn't contain her smug smile as Troy fell onto the floor on top of Gabriella - her books and bag contents flying everywhere. "Oh my god, I'm so so sorry!" His face turned a deep and dangerous red, igniting his cheeks and rapidly increasing his heart rate once he realised just who he'd collided with.

Gabriella huffed as she heaved herself up onto her knees and began to pack away her belongings. "It's okay," she sighed, clearly annoyed.

"God, you okay?"

The sudden closeness to her was suffocating.

"I'm fine." Her bag packed up and textbooks gathered, Gabriella finally allowed herself to look up at the offending klutz and her mouth hung open. "It's you."

Troy smiled sheepishly. "Uh…" He fought for words. "Kinda."

"It's kinda you?" Gabriella raised an amused eyebrow. "What are you doing on this turf? Social suicide, isn't it?"

"Uh…" Troy scrambled onto his feet, Gabriella following in a heartbeat. "…kinda."

He could almost feel Caroline's eye roll behind him.

"Seriously though," Gabriella looked at them both in confusion. "Shouldn't you be at school?"

"S-school?" Troy stuttered. He'd so not thought this through.

"Yes, Troy, school," Caroline spoke up. "You know, where you're supposed to be right now?"

Not helping.

"Uh, yeah, … kinda."

"Is that all you can say today?" Gabriella giggled at his sheepish features. She couldn't complain at the situation. "You're a real conversation artist, Troy."

"…Thanks."

"Sorry," Caroline pushed forward. "Nice seeing you again, Gabriella. I'm sorry, I honestly don't know what's wrong with the klutz this afternoon. I think he skipped some vital medication."

Again, not helping.

Gabriella raised her eyebrows, hugging her textbooks tighter to her chest. "You got lost?" She smiled softly, humorously.

"Kinda."

"But, you know, I think he wanted to see you…" Caroline gave Troy a nudge. "Right?"

"See me?" Gabriella's eyes widened into saucers. "Me? Why?"

"Uh…" Somewhere in the depths of his muddled and fuzzled head, Troy made a mental note to kill Caroline later on and make it look like an accident. "Um… actually, I don't know… I mean--" Quickly, he turned to his cousin for some form of help. Caroline let out a small sigh at his antics. She quickly took a look at the textbooks in Gabriella's arms.

"He's failing math."

Troy's eyes widened dangerously. His jaw hit the floor. _"What?!"_

"You are?" Gabriella frowned.

"I mean…" He spluttered his words, sending daggers in Caroline's direction. "I am?" He cleared his throat. "Yeah. I am."

Gabriella briefly gazed down at her feet; partly in embarrassment, partly in an awkward moment of uncertainty. "And that has something to do with me… how?"

Troy looked pointedly at her books. "You. Math."

"Me. Math?" Gabriella had to smile widely at him. "Troy, are you drunk? Or a caveman in your spare time?"

"Actually, no, he has aspirations to be a chicken," Caroline put in. "But while we're on the sweet, sweet topic of math, have you ever thought about tutoring?"

"Me? Tutoring?"

"Her? Tutoring?" Troy's heart was hitting his throat. Why did he beg Caroline to join him?

"I don't see why you'd come all the way here to seek me out. I could be a total dumbo when it comes to academics."

"Or not," Caroline smiled genuinely. "You struck me as a smart girl when I met you at the parlour. Besides, he's turned down every math tutor my aunt and uncle have thrown at him these past weeks."

"I have?"

Caroline ignored him. "And when we just about to give up hope on this useless jock here, I had a thought: what if that Gabriella girl had any expertise in the sweet world of math?"

"Well," the brunette blushed timidly. "I am co-captain of the scholastic decathlon. And we've won a few tournaments. But as for tutoring, I'm not really--"

"We can pay. It's all legit, of course," Caroline pressed on. "A week's trial?"

"I'm kinda busy."

Troy briefly closed his eyes in disappointment and Caroline let out another sigh. "It was a long shot, I guess," she sounded solemn.

Guilt was riddled over Gabriella Montez's face. "It just seems to strange that you guys would come to _me_… I mean, you remembered _me_?"

"What's not to remember?" Caroline nudged Troy in the chest and nodded along obediently.

"It's weird." Her voice was low. "No one never really remembers me." Gabriella gave off a timid and nervous laugh. "I'm just… me."

"Ever taken a chance on something weird?" Gabriella didn't sense the humourous double-meaning behind Caroline's words. Troy certainly did and in his mind was already digging out his cousin's grave.

It was so much better to be efficient and prepared.

The petite brunette merely shrugged stupidly and shuffled her feet. "I guess I could do a couple of evenings in the week…"

Troy's ears pricked. His heart pricked. It hurt. But still, it was heading somewhere good. So good, he didn't even realise he'd be taking on extra unnecessary math lessons after school hours. On a regular Gabriella-less day, he cite that as breaking the law. On an abnormal Gabriella-full day, it seemed like bliss.

"Fantastic!" Caroline clapped her hands together happily. She'd never seen a plan through yet that wasn't successful. "Troy, take her number."

Silence.

"Troy." Her elbow dug in his ribs and he hissed loudly with the pain.

"_Uh! _What?!"

"Cellphone."

"What? … oh!" He managed to somehow turn a deeper shade of red as he fished his cellphone out of the confines of his jeans pocket. Setting it up so it was ready to take her number, their eyes connected for the first time that day as he handed the item over to her; fingers brushing and electrifying as Gabriella took the phone from his hands and proceeded in typing in her number.

He held his breath as he watched her delicate fingers work on his phone; her chocolate brown eyes focusing on the task at hand. She was far too gorgeous to even comprehend.

Yet he had her number.

The grin on his face was wide, silly-looking, stupid. And for a moment, Caroline envisioned what it would be like to not be related to the blithering moron beside her.

Gabriella smiled as she handed the phone back; her fingers moving back to curl tightly around her textbooks. "I…uh… should go. My twin brothers will be waiting to take me back home… I should…" She pointed over her shoulder.

"Oh, yeah, sure!" Caroline took a step backwards as a gesture to getting her meaning. "He'll call you soon to arrange the sessions. Won't you, Troy?"

"Um…" The grin was starting to hurt his cheeks. "Kinda."

Gabriella smiled sweetly at him, trying to hide her chuckles at how silly he was acting. He certainly wasn't the Troy she remembered from the party or from the ice cream parlour. "So, um, I'll talk to you soon?"

"Definitely." Finally. A new word to add to his vocabulary.

"Awesome. Well, bye." Her bashful characteristic was just plain cute. There was no other way to describe it for him. Even as she gave one final tiny wave and turned on her heel, he couldn't help but stare after her longingly; the painful grin almost splitting his face into two as Caroline punched her fist in his shoulder to gain his attention.

"You in the land of the living yet, Baby Bolton?"

"I've so got her number!"

"Yes, thanks to me," she smiled knowingly. "I thought you said you had it all worked out!"

"I did."

"_That_ was your plan? For it to go all disastrous? I tell you, if it wasn't for me and my ingenious quick thinking…"

"Yeah, whatever," Troy stretched his arms happily before letting one rest over Caroline's shoulders. "I have her number."

Caroline smirked at the stupid smile on his face before turning them around back in the direction of their now infamous bush. "Come on, Romeo. We need to sort out your appearance next. I doubt she'd want to tutor a martian."

Troy was in no position to argue. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," he sighed before quickly turning his head back to the direction where Gabriella had trotted off only seconds before.

He stopped dead in his tracks; Caroline protesting his movements before turning around and looking at the spot where his eyes were frozen in place.

Across the way, Gabriella threw her arms around the neck of Jake Montez before they both climbed into the back seat with Matthew Montez in the drivers seat and Sharpay Evans in the passenger seat.

Her twin brothers were driving her home? But that could only mean…

"Troy? What is--?"

"Oh, fuck."


	6. Calls and Calculators

**A/N: Yes. I'm naughty. It's been forever. But if you've read my authors note for my latest chapter of 'Thank That Star', you'd understand why. I'm not typing it all out again -- evil memories will surface and my fingers already ache from all the writing I've participated in today! -- so if you wish to read about the reasons for my absence, it's all written there ;)**

**I've actually missed this fic… so hope this chapter is back up to scratch and you enjoy ;)**

**And latest Efron photoshoot = HOT! **

**Haven't drunk so many glasses of water in an hour in my entire life!**

**Holly xxx**

Six: Calls and Calculators

Troy stared at the latest edition to his cellphone contacts list.

_Gabriella._

How could one simple (beautiful) name cause so much complication (catastrophe)? It had been two days since he and Caroline had taken refuge in a bush outside West High, two days since he had discovered the utmost complete disaster that was Gabriella's surname and two days since he discovered that life officially sucked ass.

Caroline had spent the last forty-eight hours doing nothing but pestering Troy on his lack of commitment towards his fake failing school grades and had constantly poked and prodded him into calling his newly appointed (and extremely unnecessary) tutor - a chore that Troy had not yet brought himself to do as of yet.

Chad had become increasingly wary of Troy's behaviour as of late. Since his best friend had been in nothing but deep thought and wonderment throughout the past couple of days, Chad was wondering if he'd be able to bring Troy out of his retarded trance by simply bopping him on the head with a stick. He'd never even responded to the gossip and idle chit-chat at school since his break-up with Heather, least of all the death glares the head cheerleader was sending him every time they passed in the corridors.

"What the _hell _is wrong with you, man?!" Chad Danforth had lost all patience. He'd arrived at the Bolton residence early that morning with the hopes of a few games of one-on-one and happily digging into a batch of Lucille Bolton's famous chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven. Instead, he'd been welcomed with an over-enthusiastic Caroline and a barely-awake Troy who hadn't made a single basket the entire morning. It felt oddly weird and not-quite-as-refreshing as he thought it would be to beat the Hoops Dude at their favourite sport.

"Huh?" Troy was barely out of his trance as he continued to stare at the screen of his cell.

"You! You're acting all weird! First you break up with the hottest chick in school--"

"And how does Taylor feel to faring at second place?" Caroline put in with a small smirk. She was sat on the floor by Troy's head; her younger cousin was lying across the couch in a world that only consisted of himself and his cellphone, apparently.

Chad's face dropped. "Uh. Figure of speech. You know what I mean." A pause. "Not that you need to tell Tay about this conversation -- she really wouldn't find the whole retarded Bolton thing interesting. And, damn it, don't you wanna snap him out of this?!"

Caroline's smirk only grew. "I think he's just worried that he's failing math. I'm sure his head's filled with numbers and equations and fractions and… general math… stuff…"

"Dude, you're failing math?" Chad chuckled to himself and eased himself back more comfortably in the armchair that was considered Jack Bolton's heaven. "You're shitting up about _failing math?_ I've been failing math since kindergarten and I'm turning out just fine!"

Caroline had to giggle at Troy's afro-sporting best friend. They'd known one another ever since the Danforth's moved into the area when Chad was five years old and had strolled past the Bolton residence with his father to find Jack Bolton teaching his young son the fine art of basketball in their front yard. The fathers had begun talking, the sons had begun attempting to dribble a basketball and trying to out-do the other with sloppy throws and missed baskets. And from there, they'd only gotten closer. Caroline had happily grown up playing the annoying cousin who liked to steal their toys, break into their treehouse hideaway and beat them into pulps when she didn't get her own way.

Sneaking a peak at Troy over her shoulder, Caroline could see he was still in his trance; Gabriella's name continued to grace the front of his cellphone screen much to her excitement.

"You know, Chad, I think he really needs a tutor."

Chad brows knitted together in a frightened frown. "You're not… suggesting… _me?_"

"Chad. He's failing math. If he was failing the 'how to be a doofus' class, I'd come to you straight away for tutorial purposes."

"Phew!" Chad wiped invisible sweat from his forehead. "Glad that's settled. So, a tutor, huh? Is this why he's all freaky? Is coach riding his ass 'cause he's failing math?"

"Not exactly." Caroline's eyebrows scrunched at Chad's usage of words. "He doesn't know. Right, Troy?" She lifted her arm and slapped him on the chest.

"Ow! _What?!_"

"Uncle Jack. Doesn't know you're failing math."

"Failing math? _What?!_"

Rolling her eyes heavenwards before placing them back on Chad, Caroline thought it was a good idea to keep up with the pestering. After all, her name was right in front of him… all he had to do was make the call. "He's in denial." She answered Chad's questionable glance. "Failing math can do terrible things to you. Especially when you're not prepared for it."

"It's a good thing I've had a lifetime to ease into it!" Chad grinned.

"Well, Troy here hasn't. And now we're just at this loss… we don't wanna tell Uncle Jack -- he'll just ease the pressure more into his basketball practices and Aunt Lucy will just start worrying about college applications, grades, finals… It's a lot to deal with here!"

Chad's face fell serious. "Troy, man." Troy didn't look up. "Come on, talk to your best buddy Chad. Best buddy Chad is here for you, man. What can best buddy Chad do for you?"

Troy finally and slowly turned his head to the side so he could glare at his best friend. "Take a long walk off a short pier?"

"I was being serious, dude! I hate this whole retarded business! And over _math?! _You're a psycho!"

"I think you'll find the psycho is sitting on the floor by my head," Troy declared, earning another smack on the chest from his cousin. "Irritating, making a big deal out of nothing, and generally being the biggest pain in the ass in the whole fucking universe. I'm _not _failing math!"

"Denial is a river in Egypt, Troy. And so not a good look on you."

"_Caroline_," he hissed through gritted teeth. "I'm warning you."

"You could rectify this. Chad and I are clearly worried about your math capabilities. Maybe you should just _CALL THE TUTOR!_"

"Dude," Chad raised his eyebrows. "You have a tutor?"

"No."

"Yes." Caroline smiled triumphantly. "Down to me, of course."

"I don't have a tutor."

"Well, not yet. I got her number," Caroline whipped her head around to face Troy, "_I _- that's _me_ and _me _alone - got her number. _You _just need to _CALL HER!_"

"Dude. It's a she?"

"It's a she," Caroline confirmed, deliberately flicking her long hair back into Troy's face to irritate him more.

Chad made an expression of disgust. "Have you seen her? Is she hot? Or is she like… covered in braces, pigtails, saliva, big jam-jar glasses, weird voice, grandma clothing…?"

"That's your stereotype of math geeks, Chad?" Caroline enquired. "That's _so _math geek-ist."

"That's what they're all like at East High." He shrugged.

"Newsflash: East High isn't the whole entire world."

"A small portion, maybe. But everywhere is the same."

"Hey." Caroline looked deep in thought. "Isn't Taylor a math geek?"

She had always thought Chad looked adorable when his face went bright pink. He'd always had foot-in-mouth syndrome and it was always a barrel of laughs to mess around with his head when he experienced another seizure of saying all the wrong things.

"…she doesn't have this place bugged, does she?"

Here, Caroline barked a loud laugh and slapped her knee throughout her hysterics, picturing the look on his face if Taylor had been watching the entire time. She was sure Taylor would have managed to have cracked her code and see the real conversation occurring between her and Troy; poor Chad had never been that clever.

"Seriously, Caroline, do not laugh. The thought scares the shit out of me. And Tay's the only exception in the world. She's the _only _hot math geek out there."

Caroline's eyes flickered back to Troy who had gone back to scrolling through his contacts list and stopping, once again, on Gabriella's name. "I'm sure there are others," she said softly, catching Troy's gaze.

"Still, there's an argument here to settle. Troy, call the tutor. We need to check if she's hot."

"Not gonna happen, Chad." Troy ran his palm frustratingly down his face. He felt as though he was falling towards the seventh layer of hell and both Caroline and Chad were watching as though he was performing the most funniest yet silliest acrobat in the world. "I'm not failing math and I _don't _need a tutor."

There was a short pause in the Bolton living room. "Yeah. Caroline's so right. Denial doesn't suit you."

"Will you _stop _taking her side?! You don't even know what you're talking about!"

"Sure I do. Math. You. Failing math. It's not that hard a code to crack." Here, Caroline coughed behind her hand. "You're so over-reacting about this. Don't tell coach, don't tell your mama. Hire this hopefully-hot tutor on the sly and just deal with it! Seriously, you're acting like a girl over this! Cheer the fuck up!"

Troy opened his mouth to speak but a despairing sigh escaped his parted lips and he fell back into silence, throwing his arm over his eyes in a futile attempt to block out the rest of the world. No one could ever understand this dilemma and he wasn't about to be made into a laughing stock about it to entertain his friends.

"I like your advice, Chad," Caroline finally responded and Troy growled. "It's nifty. It's top-notch. And it's so the right way to go." A dramatic sigh from her filled the room. "You know, Troy, life gets pretty lonely in the dark, dark world of math without a math tutor. This math tutor is your _salvation_."

"Shut up, Caroline."

"I'm at such a loss, Chad." She rolled her eyes. "If only he'd _call her_."

"I'll fucking call her if it gets him off Planet Zog! Give me your phone, Bolton! Let's end this bullshit once and for all!"

Caroline had never seen Troy scramble to his feet so fast in her entire life. His phone was suddenly planted deep in his front jean pocket and his arms held out in a defensive pose. "Back off, Danforth!"

"And this is the thanks I get for trying to help a friend in need? Oh, fuck it! I'm out of here! Caroline? You fucking rock and I'll see you soon." Chad held out his fist for Caroline to lightly punch his knuckles. "Troy? Get a goddamn calculator or something!"

Caroline muffled another laugh as Chad shook his head in irritation, picked up his basketball and made his way out of the building, leaving the two of them alone. On the one hand, Caroline had been extremely thankful for Chad's input - even if he had no idea what he was inputting to. Ever since Gabriella had left them outside West High and Troy had recognised the two guys Gabriella was hitching a ride with -- and referred to them as her brothers -- he'd been in this constant state of unfathomable disappointment and despair.

Once Troy met Caroline's smirking eyes, he growled under his breath again, not having the strength to go through yet another argument about all this. He turned on his heel and promptly left the room, heading towards the stairs and the sanctuary that was his bedroom.

"You can run but you can't hide!" Caroline called after him.

"Back off, woman. You're driving me to suicide."

Caroline climbed the stairs with deliberate and precise pace as she followed him; a small and triumphant seeking smile still remaining on her features. "Don't be such a wuss. So she's got… two brothers. What the hell is the big deal?"

"It's none of your business, Caroline."

"Maybe not. But I've never seen you like this before and this is something huge. And Gabriella's a great girl… just call her."

Troy finally stomped his way to the top of the stairs and pasted his palms against his ears. "If you say 'call her' one more time…" He gritted his teeth.

Smiling devilishly, she waited a mere few seconds. "Call her."

"_ARGH!_"

"It's quite simple, really," she continued, following him until he slammed his bedroom door in her face. "Telephones really are simple things to use… such is modern technology… the joys it brings us! …and you know I can just open the door, don't you? You don't have a lock."

"I'll be investing in one!" Came the muffled reply from the other side of the door. "Caroline, I mean this in the most nicest way… FUCK OFF!"

She rolled her eyes.

"I can hear you rolling your eyes."

"Like I care. Beware, Bolton; I'm coming in!"

"Don't you dare!"

The door open and she swiftly stepped in to find him lying across his bed flat on his back glaring at her. "Oops."

He felt as though he was going insane. Withering around the bed with his hands covering his face, Troy started to whimper. "You're never going to leave this, are you? This is going to be my life for the rest of eternity; you're going to constantly chant 'call her! Call her!' around a burning pit of fire while I sit in the flames in pure agony as Chad does a naked dance with a stick around us. This is going to be my life from now on, isn't it? Have mercy, Caroline… I'm fucking family!"

Caroline folded her arms and stood at the end of the bed, shaking her head. "You're so pathetic, Troy. It's just a lousy phone call."

"It's not the phone call I'm worried about."

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow. "Because if I'd acted like a pathetic loser in front of a girl I'm majorly crushing on, I'd be seriously worried about picking up a phone and calling her. In fact, I'd be petrified!"

Troy scowled. "Not helping."

She huffed. "You're driving me insane here. I thought you liked her?"

"I do."

"So… you hate her brothers. So, what? It's not like you're dating them, is it?"

"No, but-" Troy cut himself off with another deep sigh. "It's just the whole thing, isn't it? Jake and Mattie Montez are the West High Knights basketball superstars; they're like… _so _into the game that everything about it is a rivalry. It started in sophomore year… before championships, before scholarships were an issue, before the game became so important to everybody. We had all these friendly games with other schools in the area, and Jake and Mattie always took it too far. If they lost, temper tantrums would be thrown -- and since our school is closest to theirs, they just suddenly decided that we would be the "enemies". Course, it didn't help that their dad - _and _the Knight's coach - has never got along with my dad. I don't know why… dad just says it stretches back years. But because of _that_, I'm public enemy number one."

"Pathetic," Caroline commented with another shake of the head.

"I know, right? I barely even know them! I mean, what I've learned about them in the past few years, I absolutely hate! They're such assholes! And they play dirty. All the Knights do… like they're teaching them to foul Wildcats during games in the most subtle way that they get away with it most of the time. And then outside of school, they act like freaking cowboys protecting their territory… _Knights Turf_, they call it! It's so pathetic, it's hysterical. But then it gets all serious… there's been fights. I don't like to boast - and don't you _dare _tell dad - but we've kicked their asses on one or more occasion. Usually, we're outnumbered, but we give as good as we get."

Caroline shook her head again. "So completely pathetic."

"Yep."

"Don't mean _them _- although they come in at a very close second. I mean _you, _dumbass."

Troy sat up sharply, his eyes bulging in disbelief. "_Me?!_"

"Yes, you. Never mind the whole stupid cliché rivalry you guys have got going on - that's pathetic all on its own, not to mention immature. You'll all be graduating high school in a matter of months and you're fighting like a bunch of five year olds in a sandbox… and all over a game of fucking basketball! To that issue, I say to you all, _grow the fuck up!_"

"It's not like I like this arrangement! They started it, have no intention of stopping it and we _defend _ourselves! If you're gonna blame anyone, blame my dad and Joe Montez!"

"That isn't the issue we're dealing with right now, although it connects in a stupid way. You _like _Gabriella, Troy; don't even try to deny it. And I know you like her more than you realise, which is why I'm pushing you so hard to _call her!_"

"Stop saying that!"

Caroline persisted. "Do you like her?"

"Yes!"

"So why are you letting a stupid school rivalry get in the way of being with her?! It's pathetic! So pathetic, come to think of it, that if you're going to be this way then maybe Gabriella's better off without you! I've always known you around girls - 'pig' is the correct term - but I saw that change in you at the ice cream parlour and I figured that _maybe _you've grown up. Perhaps you'd _finally _found a girl who compliments you, who respects you and vice-versa… maybe even _the _girl who _completes _you. But if you're going to be so arrogant and cowardly… well, she's far better without you."

Anger blazed in Troy's baby blues. Caroline was the only person who could set those beautiful pools alight. "You don't get it, okay? I don't give a fuck about Mattie or Jake! It's _her_. Let's enter the perfect fantasy land for a moment and say she _actually _likes me… what happens then? We date for a few hours, she goes home, tells her dad, Mattie and Jake: _'guess what? I'm dating Troy Bolton!'_ and then _boom! _She finds out all about me from their minds and then _smash! _She calls me up and dumps me, just like that! They hate me, Caroline. And she's their sister. In the popularity game, who would you stand up for? Your family or the blithering idiot who can't say no more than two words to you because he gets so tongue-tied and retarded around you?"

Troy's face changed from humiliation at the exposure of his soul, to pure confusion at the look on Caroline's face. She'd turned an odd shade of pink, her cheeks were aflame, and her hands were clapped together as though she were a princess in a Disney film about to break into song surrounded by birds and fluffy bunny rabbits. A tight smile graced her face and her pale blue eyes twinkled.

Troy Bolton was scared.

"What…?"

"Oh my god!" It came out as a squeal that Troy guessed maybe dogs could only hear. "Oh, Troy!"

He backed up into a ball at his headboard. "What…? Why are you looking at me like that? Why--?"

"Oh, I didn't believe it at first! I mean, because it's _you _and _you _don't feel things like this…" She trailed off to do some sort of giddy dance on the balls of her feet in excitement. "But I can see it so, so perfectly now and I'm so _proud of you! _You're growing up! I'm telling you… this is all fate! It's destiny… and I've contributed to it! I've contributed _damn heavily_, thank you very much, Cupid! Oh my god, I should _so _take Cupid's job; I'm so freaking good at this! Oh, Troy!"

He winced again as she stepped towards him.

"I just wanna pinch your widdle cheeks! Can I pinch your widdle cheeks?"

"What?!" Troy's eyes were a picture of terror. "What? _No! _Get away from me!" He scrambled clumsily to get away as Caroline jumped on the bed and tried to sit on him, reaching her hands out to pinch his cheeks between her thumbs and index fingers. She managed to hold down his kicking legs and cooed at him as he tried to push her off him with all his might. "This looks like _incest, _Caroline!"

"But you're so cute!" She squealed again, laughing at his poor attempts to escape. "Just one pinch, just one little pinch!"

"_FUCK OFF!"_

She thought about it. "Only if you call her."

"What?!" He squeaked, incredulous. "Didn't we just cover this?!"

"Yeah, and your reasoning sucked. Actually, it was so incredibly sweet; I never thought _that _could come from you! You simply have to call her, Troy. It's fate."

"It's _crazy_, is what it is. I've met her, what? Three times? And I've acted like a total doofus at all three! What makes your tiny little brain think she could possibly like _me?_"

"Do you honestly have that low self-esteem? Never thought that about you…"

Troy's eyes darkened, his cheeks flushed a bright pink. "She's out of my league anyway. Even without the murderous brothers and evil school."

"Tut. You're too dramatic."

"Says you! Now, get off me!"

Caroline narrowed her eyes and swiftly moved to sit on his stomach, letting her full weight fall onto him and knock the breath straight from his lungs.

"Psycho!" He choked.

"Loser!" She smirked. "You'll never know if you don't try… and you'll always regret it too. You tell me if there's ever been a girl before her who made you act and feel like this and I'll leave you alone."

Troy growled loudly and tried in vain to push her off his stomach. "Why can't I think of anyone?!" He yelled in blind frustration, his anger pouring out at every syllable. He'd never felt more exposed, more humiliated… and he couldn't understand why Caroline was getting all teary-eyed, loved up and dramatic over something like that; as though it was something _good_.

"Because you know I'm right. As usual. I think it's sweet you're putting her feelings before your own but this insanity has got to stop now. Where's your phone?" At her question, Troy's hand flew to his pocket in a panic and Caroline grinned mischievously. "I will go in there, you know. You could save yourself embarrassment at losing to a girl."

When he didn't move, Caroline forcefully pushed his hand away and went to retrieve the phone. Troy struggled. "Even if she wasn't related to those two jerk-offs… and even if she went to the same school as me and none of this bullshit existed… there's no way I'd let you call her!"

"Why ever not?" Caroline whooped and hollered as she successfully retrieved the phone and scrolled through Troy's contacts.

Troy closed his eyes briefly in defeat. "Because I'm not lying to her, Caroline. I'm not a liar. I don't need a tutor. I'm good at math. And now the lie's already set in motion, she's going to find out and she's going to be pissed. Even before she finds out from her family I'm the scum of the earth, she'll already run away screaming."

"Oh, Troy!" Caroline's mushy face was back and she reached one hand out to pinch his cheek hard.

"Ow! What the fuck?! That hurt!" Troy swatted her hand away and covered his now painfully red cheek. "Stop that! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Caroline giggled as she located Gabriella's number and let her finger hover over the 'call' button. "Destiny," she sighed. "Pure destiny. And you didn't lie to her. I did. All you have to do is follow it along until she shows up here and then you tell her the truth. She'll think it's cute."

Troy raised an eyebrow, not convinced. "And supposing your stupid idea does work… we kiss, we start dating, she goes home, tells her family and then _boom! _She realises who I am through her brothers eyes and then calls me to dump me. There's no point, Caroline, so please, _please _put the phone down. I feel like shit enough as it is. This isn't nice for me, you know."

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe Gabriella isn't that narrow minded? She doesn't even know who you are… if she was that ridiculous and as pathetic as her brothers and their friends, then she'd know who you are instantly and would have already run off screaming. Maybe she's just like me…" Troy's eyes bulged in fright at the thought. "Maybe she thinks they're all pathetic and this just gives you the chance to prove to her that you've got far more going for you than petty fights. Ever think of that?"

"No…"

"Well, you better start." Caroline held up his phone before pressing it to his ear. "It's ringing."

"_What?!_" He hissed, horrified. "No!"

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes."

"_Hello?"_

"No!" Troy's breath hitched and everything went silent.

There was a tentative breath on the other end of the phone. _"…hello?"_

"Yeah. Um." He swallowed. "Hi."

Caroline rolled her eyes with a grin.

"_Hi…" _She laughed nervously. _"Do I, um, know you?"_

Troy's heart hammered against his chest. Damn her! "Oh. Yeah. Right. It's Troy. You know… Troy…"

"_Oh, Troy!" _Her voice hitched up a few notches. _"I wondered if you were gonna call. I figured you might get a different tutor -- which is okay, by the way. You're entitled to do that. And I wouldn't be offended. How is that going, by the way? I've just realised I've just babbled and rambled on before you can tell me anything."_

Troy could do nothing but laugh as he eased comfortably into the conversation; Caroline was still sitting on his stomach, giving him a look of desperation. She wanting in on the conversation badly. "It's okay," he smiled, ignoring Caroline completely and entering a world of his own. "I'm not interrupting anything, right?"

"_What? Oh, no! Just boring homework… and I'm glad you did. Everyone needs rescuing from homework from time to time. Sharpay's here - she's already tried 'rescuing' me with a make-over but I'm anything but a Barbie doll, so I locked my door."_

Troy laughed again, a wide beaming smile taking over his face in an instant. "Yeah. A lock on the door. The very thing I so desperately need."

Caroline laughed silently.

"_So, did you get a tutor?"_

Troy hesitated. "No…" It wasn't a lie.

Gabriella seemed to sigh a sigh of relief. _"Oh, really? Because I can help, you know. I know your cousin was eager for me to give you a hand and I really don't mind. If you want to, that is."_

The words were out of his mouth before he could think; he wanted to do whatever it was that involved her. That wasn't a lie. "Yeah, sure. Of course. Anything."

Gabriella paused for a moment, contemplating his words. Anything? Troy almost choked on his own breath and closed his eyes in embarrassment.

"_Okay…" _She drifted off tentatively. _"Um… when are you free?"_

"Uh…" Troy looked up to Caroline for confirmation, but she only helped by making hand gestures that he couldn't figure out the meaning to. "Tomorrow?" He guessed. He supposed he'd guessed right… Caroline did a silent squeal and wiggled her legs, causing the air to be knocked out of him again and her leg to collide with his side.

"_Tomorrow's great. Where do you want to do this? My house is okay, I guess. But my brother's can be really rowdy and--"_

Troy's heart nearly flew up into his throat. Didn't he just know how rowdy the Montez brother's could be. "No, it's okay. My parents are out tomorrow visiting relatives. You could come by my place, if you like."

Caroline continued her silent squealing.

"_Okay." _He thought he could feel her smile through the phone. _"If you text me your address, I can be there at, say, four o'clock?"_

He couldn't help his smile. "Four o'clock is perfect."

Caroline squealed more.

"_Okay, so, um…" _She giggled slightly. _"I guess…I'll… see you then?"_

Troy swallowed, suddenly realised the turn in which his life was going to take lead. "Um. Yeah… that's great. Thanks." He swallowed again.

Gabriella breathed a small laugh. _"Okay. Bye…"_

"Bye…"

Slamming the phone down on his mattress, Troy breathed in a huge amount of air and released it loudly, letting his head fall into the pillows were his muffled incoherent phrases and screeches.

"Phase one…" Caroline licked the tip of her index finger and held it up, making a sizzling noise. "Complete."

Troy covered his face with his hands. "This isn't going to work… this isn't going to work…"

"Oh ye of little faith. I'm actually offended you aren't placing more trust in me! I've got you this far, haven't I? Anyway, like I said, it's fate. You have nothing to worry about!"

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!"

Caroline shifted her weight on him again, causing him to choke.

"Will you get off me?! I swear you've put on weight! Go get a salad!"

Caroline bared her teeth and wiggled her fingers. "Not until I can pinch your other cheek!"

Troy wiggled and squirming and fought and kicked and flapped… but nothing would budge her. "Leave me alone!"

"Come on, Romeo! Just one widdle pinch!"

---

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, a young girl with chocolate coloured eyes and long dark curls could no longer concentrate on her literature coursework.

She'd done nothing but grin so wide that it hurt for the last thirty minutes.

It had just kept building and building until she saw no other option but to fling herself backwards on her bed and cover her face with her textbook before squealing wildly into it and kicking her legs frantically against her mattress.

Gabriella Montez was considered quite a genius for her seventeen years.

But even she knew that fluttering hearts, butterfly-filled stomachs and that deep, warm, fuzzy feeling was just not normal.


	7. Committing To The Moment

Seven: Committing To The Moment

Caroline Bolton looked delighted. "This is _so_ going to work!"

Troy Bolton looked in despair. "This is _never _going to work."

"Do you want a candle?" Caroline asked, not taking her eyes away from the strategically placed math textbooks, notebooks and equipment on the kitchen table.

"Why the fuck would I want a candle?"

"To make it more romantic? The math books on their own don't really speak romance, do they?"

Troy breathed slowly, trying to keep his temper in check. It was an hour until Gabriella was due to arrive under the false pretences that he needed a math tutor and his stress levels really weren't showing any signs of lessening.

He wasn't a liar by nature - except for maybe the odd little white lie that was crucial to getting out of major trouble. There had been a few occasions where he'd blamed Chad for stealing his mom's freshly baked cookies or told Caroline that he had nothing to do with the massacre that involved her precious dolls and their heads. But he never used a lie in a malicious way, and although it wasn't really a mean thing to tell Gabriella a little white lie in order to see her at that stage, Troy still felt as though he was betraying her trust in some way. He knew the odds were already stacked so high against them; he didn't want to add to them.

Caroline, meanwhile, was on top of the world. She'd taken charge of Troy's wardrobe for the day, the aftershave he'd be wearing, the food and drinks he'd be offering… even to setting the kitchen table up for the fake tutoring session. It wasn't really rocket science or anything that needed such attention, yet Caroline was happily treating it as such, stating that her cousins entire future happiness depended on this going well.

"Since when has a math tutoring session been part of any date?"

She beamed. "So, this is a date?"

Troy reddened drastically. "No. It's not a date. _You're _the one who got me into this - _you _told Gabriella I suck at math and need a tutor. If I had asked her on a date, this isn't what we'd be doing."

"And what would you be doing, pray tell?"

"Anything and anywhere that didn't involve _you_!"

Caroline clicked her tongue in mock disgust. She was too excited to get into a full blown argument with him. "You're so negative, Troy. Why aren't you more excited? I know you're happy she's coming so you could at least crack a smile."

"This is all wrong. She thinks I suck at math."

"So?"

"_So _I'm not lying to her. This whole thing is so unnecessary anyway."

"Don't start with all that stupid rivalry again, Troy. It's so childish; you all belong in a crèche! Just _tell her _the truth if that's what you're so bothered about! And if she's as narrow-minded and childish as the rest than she simply isn't worth it."

"But--"

"No buts. Matter is closed. Now, I have a few candles - some unscented, but I really think you need to go for a scented one. I have jasmine."

"I have a fist. And I'll use it."

Caroline slammed her hands on her hips. "Troy, you really need to commit to the moment. Effort is required here - when you guys get married, I can't be the one to say your vows for you, ya know!"

"And _if_ - mega, huge IF - it ever came to that, you may as fucking well. You're taking over everything else in my life!"

"You're impossible."

"And you're a psycho!"

"Whatever." Caroline waved him off dramatically. "I'm going to get a candle. Don't touch the table setting while I'm gone - we don't want you screwing up before she even gets here."

"I don't want a fucking candle!"

---

Gabriella Montez could only conclude that she was having an outer body experience.

There was a small part - a very _teeny weeny _part - of her that was desperate to go downstairs and ask Sharpay Evans for fashion and make-up advice.

She knew the nice men in white coats would be knocking on her door at any second with that revelation hanging in the air.

Sharpay was currently hanging out downstairs with Mattie, Jake and Will Jessop - Will had already made several unsuccessful attempts to prise her out of her bedroom to join them. Gabriella simply couldn't accept his sleazy invitation for a large number of reasons - mainly the utter catastrophe that was her bedroom at that precise moment in time. Her bedroom was always immaculate and now it looked as though a clothes bomb had gone off in there… and all because of a boy.

A boy, she reminded herself for the umpteenth time, that she barely knew and a boy who'd only asked her to his place to him with his math homework.

She was destined to always be the geek - the girl who just lingered in the background of everybody else's exciting and happy lives.

With a heavy sigh, she once again tried to look through the pile of clothing she'd previously raked from her closet, only to be met with disappointment after disappointment.

Nothing looked right. She'd always been a girl of comfort when it came to fashion; she never bothered with the latest trends or looking her particular best. But now, it suddenly seemed the perfect outfit had to be presented to her, the most flattering make-up had to be printed on her to make her the most stunning human being on the face of the earth.

The images in her head weren't the same as the reality she was facing in her full-length mirror. And she suddenly felt a need to cry. The feeling struck her as unusual, but the fact that she was standing there seeing a reflection of herself wearing the same boring jeans, the same loose fitting tank top and navy hoodie, the same plain make-up-less face and effortless hair style.

Gabriella forced herself to turn away from the mirror, and away from the clock on her bedside table that was taunting her with the fast-moving time. If she was heading over to Troy's, she'd need to get ready as soon as possible to make it for four o'clock.

This was all a mistake.

Just one, big, fucking nightmare of a mistake.

The loud knock on her bedroom door caused her to grip her hair in her fingers and tug in annoyance. "I don't want to come downstairs!" She yelled through gritted teeth. "Don't you people _understand_ anything I say anymore?!"

"Well, no." The door opened and the face of Sharpay Evans emerged. "Maybe because you act all anal all the time about the simple things in life. Everyone's downstairs _socialising_ and _having fun_ - hard things to understand, I'm sure. And you're…" Her hazel eyes darted around the room. "You're… having a personality transplant… Did a clothes bomb go off in here or something?"

"I wish," Gabriella grumbled, wrapped her arms around her waist. "I was, uh, just looking for something…"

"Other than jeans and a hoodie?" Sharpay thought the situation was highly amusing. "Good luck with that one, Montez!"

Gabriella's eyes narrowed. "Well, if you're going to be making fun of me…"

Sharpay held her hands up in defence. "Woah! Woah! Calm down, woman! I guess I ought to just be happy you're at least _trying _branch out in the world of fashion." Her lips curled up into a smile. "But for what purpose? There's only one reason a girl would get all worked up about clothes… especially a girl who's totally retarded when it comes to the world of fashion…"

"I'm just going out."

"Going out where?"

Gabriella looked exasperated and beyond embarrassed. "Does it matter?"

"Sure it does. If you want help deciding on what to wear, that is." Sharpay didn't miss the look on Gabriella's face, the way she looked down at her shuffling feet as she tried to hide her evident blush. "And… if it's for a certain someone…" The blush deepened. "Is it Will?"

Gabriella's head snapped back up. "What? Will? No!"

"Are you sure? He's been giving you the eye so it would totally make sense if you--"

"Ew! Sharpay, seriously, I have eyes."

"So, there is a guy…"

The blush returned. "I didn't say that," she replied quietly. "I'm just tutoring someone. It doesn't mean anything. I just want to look nice."

"Because you like him."

"Sharpay!"

"What?" Sharpay couldn't help but smile. She wouldn't even dare admit to herself that she was starting to like her boyfriend's sister. That would be way too weird for her. "It's so obvious, Gabriella. You're such a dork. Who is it?"

"No one!"

"Whatever. You're the worst fucking liar I've ever met!"

Gabriella opened her mouth to retort but then closed it again, seeing no benefit could come from arguing with her. Nobody in history had ever beaten Sharpay in an arguing contest.

Sharpay huffed in annoyance seeing no retaliation was going to take place and began to finger through the items of clothing strewn over Gabriella's bed.

"Maybe I can do something with this junk. _Maybe_."

Gabriella looked up surprised.

Sharpay eyed her. "Remember I said _maybe_. You're not even on the fashion ladder here, Montez. You're well under. Sure, it _would_ be useful if you told me where you were going, who you were going with and your intentions with this certain someone… but then again, even if it is a date with a totally hot guy, I seriously doubt I could work wonders with the monstrosity which is your closet."

Gabriella's eyes cast downward, ashamed. In the short time she'd known Troy, she never expected to be anything but a nobody to him. But Sharpay's comment hit her so hard, it just confirmed every fear she harboured and resented about herself.

And suddenly Sharpay Evans felt as though she was having an outer body experience. She saw the look on the younger Montez triplet's face and she felt the repercussions of her actions. Not a nice thing for her to admit to herself, sure, but suddenly she found herself slowly raking back through Gabriella's clothes and thinking about the best way to apologise without _actually _apologising.

"But, then, I guess _this_ top would look nice with a suitable pair of jeans. You have some nice jeans, right? The type of jeans you'd wear out for some special occasion or something?"

Gabriella hugged her middle subconsciously. "Um, well, there is one pair I only wear for occasions. Not really special ones but I save them for something a little more… social."

Sharpay folded her arms tightly and stared straight at Gabriella with intent. "I'm not going to pretend I'm not curious about where you're going with this, and I might feel the urge to tell Mattie and Jake about it since they insist on keeping you in their pockets twenty-four-seven. And if it's nothing, I can tell them right?"

"Uh…" Gabriella stuttered. "Well, they'd just questions and get all protective and I _hate _that, so I'd _really _appreciate it if you didn't say anything, Sharpay, because--"

"Because I'm right and it _is _a guy you're seeing?"

"Tutoring!"

"Whatever." She rolled her hazel eyes. "That's all I'm going to say. Whatever. Go find those special jeans of yours and wear this top." She threw a cream camisole towards her and a light blue cardigan that just passed her test of acceptable wear.

Gabriella was confused at her actions but scrambled towards her chest of drawers and pulled out a pair of dark blue jeans - not exactly ideal wear _if _she considered this a date.

Sharpay's brows knitted together. "These are _nice _jeans?"

"They're clean?"

"They're not baggy, at least!" Sharpay scoffed. "They'll do. The colour totally goes with the tops and even though they're not exactly _fitting _to your figure, they're better than the others you have in there. My god, who'd have thought a simple outfit could cause so much stress?"

"It's too simple?" The nerves were now fluttering out of control. Time was running out before she had to be at Troy's and she was still make-up-less and her outfit was too simple.

Simple would never do. Simple just couldn't happen.

Sharpay sighed loudly. "It's okay. Okay for a _first date_, I suppose. It'll do."

"It's not a--"

"Maybe not, but you're definitely trying to impress someone. I don't know who and lord knows I won't rest until I find out, but you're _definitely_ trying to impress someone here."

Blushes never told lies and Gabriella could feel her own heating her face so much, she reckoned she could successfully fry an egg on her forehead.

"Please don't tell Mattie or Jake…" she whispered. "It's not a date, I swear it's not; it's just tutoring and all I want to do is look…" she drifted off, her eyes darting anywhere but on Sharpay. "I just want look normal, okay? I just feel it's important that I do. Is that enough for you?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. But I'll say whatever on the subject and I won't tell the boys - even though lying is breaking a fundamental rule in a relationship, so if Mattie finds out and dumps me, you're officially going to hell for making me."

"It's only tutoring, Sharpay. I don't know how long it's going to last. He won't find out unless you tell him so."

"And this so-called _tutoring _won't spiral into something more? Clearly you want it to, Montez."

"Whether I do or don't, I know it won't. But that doesn't mean I can't make some sort of effort, right? At least - how you put it - have a little bit of dignity, right? Am I entitled to do that?"

Sharpay's eyebrows shot to the top of her head in surprise at Gabriella's admission. "So, this guy is hot, right? He's not one of these dorky science guys from your scholastic decathlon team with big, jam-jar glasses, wonky teeth and a pocket protector, right?"

A smile crept onto Gabriella's face at the mental image. "No, he's really good looking."

"Not a dork?"

"No." Her voice was strained with embarrassment. "Can I just put this outfit on and then you can help me with my hair? It's not sitting right."

"It never will if you don't look after it properly."

"I wash and brush it. Just because I don't coat it in expensive products, doesn't mean I don't look after it."

"Whatever, Gabriella. Just sit your ass down in front of the mirror and let me work my magic. And if you so much as dare complain that I'm trying to poke your eye out with an eye pencil, I will make you look like some lame-ass clown just out of principal!"

Gabriella allowed Sharpay to push her down onto the seat and she looked nervously into the mirror as Sharpay raked through the little amount of make-up she owned and never used.

"No glitter, Sharpay, please."

"Are all things dull your favourite things?"

"Please, I'm begging you. No glitter and _no _sequins."

"You're so boring, Gabriella. Have a little _imagination, _please."

"I don't want to look like a drag queen!"

Sharpay fumed. "Well, if _that's _how you feel!"

"No, no! Wait, I'm sorry! Don't go!" Desperation poured out of her and Gabriella unconsciously grasped a hold of Sharpay's arm, begging her with her heart and soul not to leave her. "Please, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that you'd make me look like a drag queen and I honestly don't think _you _dress like one. I just know it wouldn't suit me and I… well, I just need _something _to make me look a little pretty, _please_!"

Sharpay eyed her and released her anger in a rush of breath. "Fine. Whatever. I'll help. I'll do what I can but I can't make any promises, you understand."

"Yes." Gabriella breathed a sigh of relief as Sharpay harshly turned her upper body back around so she was facing the mirror. "I'm sorry; I'm really grateful that you're helping me."

"Whatever." She huffed again and began running her fingers through her chocolate strands. "I'll just fluff your hair up a little bit so it doesn't look so flat, then I'll see what I can do with your face."

"Thank you."

"Whatever," she said again in an abrupt manner. "You've still angered me, Montez, but I know a charity case when I see one and it would just be rude for me to just walk away and leave you like this while you're out tutoring some hunk you've got a major thing for."

"Uh… thanks?"

"Again, whatever. Just because you think I'm a walking nightmare, doesn't mean I don't have some Sharpay love inside of me."

"Um… okay?"

"You know, Mattie always says he can't understand why me and you don't get on and I tell him it's a clash between someone's normal personality and… you. And he always says we should at least try, for him. But getting along with you is a lot fucking harder than I originally thought."

"Well, there's a starting point," Gabriella replied optimistically. "We both agree on _something _there."

---

"It's almost showtime!" Caroline Bolton had never tried valium, but she figured the effects of it were incredibly similar to the excitement and hyperness she was feeling right at that moment. She clapped her hands together, looking fondly at the dining room table where the math textbooks and stationary were strategically placed with a long, cream, jasmine-scented candle sat just a little further up. She was seriously thinking about wearing a white sheet, getting a bow and arrow and changing her name to Cupid.

Troy bounded down the stairs, running her fingers haphazardly through his hair. He was wearing light coloured jeans with a white t-shirt and a light blue shirt unbuttoned over the top. Caroline scrunched up her nose in distaste.

"What?"

"Can't you do up the shirt or something? And wear a tie?"

"I'm not attending a wedding, Caroline. It's a fake tutoring session, remember?"

"But your outfit really doesn't speak romance."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Would you prefer me to wear some frilly outfit complete with Shakespearean tights, a sword and perhaps a red rose between my teeth?"

"Don't be so sarcastic, Troy. That would be _way _too extreme - although at least Gabriella would understand how much you like her in the first second of her walking through the door and then you wouldn't have to spend hours getting all tongue-tied and bumbling away before you pick up enough courage to tell her yourself."

"You're funny."

"Just thinking outside the box is all. Right! So! She'll be here any minute! Last minute checks, okay?"

"I dread to think."

"You're so dramatic." Caroline straightened out his shirt collar, pried his lips apart to check the whiteness of his teeth, ran her fingers through his hair to position "just right" and lightly pinched his cheeks to give him "a little glow". Troy slapped her hands away in irritation - as if he wasn't nervous enough.

"Do you _mind_?!"

"Do you treat everyone who does nice things to you this way?" Caroline shot back. "You'll do, I suppose. But I think you were definitely on something with the rose."

"No. Fucking. Way."

"Aunt Lucy has a rose bush in the garden, right?"

"She did… until I decided to run out and burn it to the ground! I can _see_ your warped little mind turning, and I don't like it. Don't even fucking think about going out there and picking flowers!" His gaze shot to the table. "And what the fuck is with the fucking candle?!"

"The table just looks _plain _without it. You want to sit at a table with your _destiny _with only a few dull textbooks and stationary? _Please, _Troy!" She scoffed. "Gabriella deserves better than that."

"The table does not need a candle. It was set up to represent a student who's failing math and needs a tutor. Would there be a candle if the tutor was a dude?"

"Yes. If you were about to fall madly in love with the male tutor."

"You're warped."

"And you love me," she grinned. "I know you're excited, and I'm psyched too! Just let me have this candle, Troy; you won't even let me in the room with you both when she gets here… the least you can do is let me have the candle - and dibs on being the godmother when you have your first child. And if it's a girl, you name it Caroline."

Troy squared his shoulders, ready to unleash hell and breathe fire all over his super annoying cousin. But instead of blowing up, he unleashed his most powerful weapon at that moment in time. Slowly, and maintaining eye contact with her, Troy leant over and blew the candle out.

"You bastard!"

"I don't want a candle. I don't need a candle. Gabriella does not need or want a candle."

"She might love candles."

"You're right, she might. But right now, I don't care about anybody's love for candles. I care about getting through today by whatever means possible, and without you making my blood pressure go up any higher."

Caroline narrowed her eyes darkly and reached for the lighter she had in her jeans pocket. Quick as a flash, she grabbed hold of the candle and despite Troy's feeble attempts to stop her, managed to re-light the candle.

"Caroline!"

"It's romance!"

"It's insane!" He blew out air rapidly, trying to reach the helpless flame.

Caroline held the candle away from his face, cupping her hand around the dancing flame to protect from Troy's evil breath. "Leave it alone!"

"No!" With one large blow, Troy managed to make the flame disappear again and Caroline wasted no time if fumbling clumsily with the lighter to re-light it.

"You're going to cause a fire!"

"I'm not the one re-lighting a candle, Caroline!" _Puff! _Out went the flame again.

"You need to start respecting the candle."

"You need to stop lighting it."

The struggle continued for what seemed like forever for the two of them until they both froze solid at the sound of the doorbell ringing.

"Oh my god!" Caroline pushed Troy away from her and quickly re-lighted the candle and replaced it on the table. "Code red! Code red!"

Troy quickly bent over and blew the candle back out. He could feel his palms sweating and his heart thumping - how the hell was he going to get through this in one piece?

It seemed he didn't have time to figure that out. As soon as Caroline re-lighted the candle, she pushed him hard towards the front door, smoothing down his shirt and positioning strands of his hair in random places.

"Now remember," she whispered loudly through gritted teeth. "You suck at math until you decide it's the right moment to tell her otherwise. Compliment her - she has beautiful eyes, glorious long brown hair, luscious lips and an exquisite soul."

"Stop reading romance novels." It was supposed to sound threatening, but it just came out strangled.

"She's also oh-so smart. Keep your legs pointed towards her body - it's a clear sign of flirting. And stare at her eyes and her lips - nothing below them! Lean into her, invade her personal space… you'll be getting married before you know it!"

Troy shook his head in astonishment at his cousin's advice. "One more thing?"

"What?"

"Where's the large hole in the ground I can just fall into and disappear forever?"

"It doesn't exist! Now," Caroline pressed his cheeks and caused his mouth to open wide. Troy made a strangled sound as she did so and as his mouth opened, she squirted peppermint flavoured spray into his mouth. "There! Phase two: complete!"

"Moron!" he hissed as she backed away from the door with a grin.

"She's waiting!" She hissed back.

---

Troy had never thought he'd be the tongue-tied type. He was Mr. Flirt-Tastic! He had girls falling constantly at his feet at school… sometimes by doing nothing, sometimes by using his charm tactics and making them weak in the knees.

Gabriella Montez seemed to give him those effects by just standing there in front of him. He'd opened his door to see her looking sheepish, clutching a couple of math textbooks, a notebook and a pencil case, and looking beyond stunning in a simple pair of jeans, white camisole and a blue cardigan. She had little make-up on and her hair wasn't done up in any special style.

But she looked impossibly beautiful. And he felt his jaw drop and freeze in place upon seeing her.

For the past twenty minutes, Gabriella had sat beside him (in front of a lit jasmine scented candle) and had talked through every math problem, going through all step by step and in such a passionate manner that had Troy transfixed.

He didn't know what was the matter with him. He was good at math but that didn't necessarily mean he enjoyed it or thrived on discussing it. It was one of the most boring topics in the world, yet the way Gabriella spoke, he could have sat in that seat for the rest of his life and listened for eternity.

Caroline was trying (unsuccessfully) to have in on the occasion - walking through towards the kitchen pretending she was in desperate need of a glass of water or some snacks, even offering the two some so she could stay in the room a little longer. At one point, Troy had to insist that she left before he beated her with his rular and for good measure, blew out the candle once again.

But that just gave Caroline another excuse to come into the room to re-light it, and in the end, Troy figured he should just ignore the candle and explain to Gabriella that his cousin was insane and had a fetish for candles.

He sat with his chin rested on his hand in somewhat of a daydream as Gabriella talked through another problem. She shyly kept her eyes on the page in front of her and wouldn't make eye contact with him unless he managed to hold it for a few seconds. But then, she'd blush and revert her gaze and Troy would be back to square one trying to recapture it.

The issue of the lie he was going along with was constantly in the back of his mind, and he'd made a promise to himself to tell her as soon as she's arrived. But Gabriella's habit of talking non-stop had prevented him from doing so, and then he'd become so mesmerized by what she was saying, he found he didn't have the strength to interrupt and lose this new feeling of bliss.

Gabriella finally took a breath and looked at him for a split-second before her cheeks took on that gorgeous tinge of pink and she moved the textbook so he could see it clearer.

"So, what do you think is the answer?" She asked slowly, with a small smile. Troy didn't look at the textbook.

"I think I'm…" He paused, shaking himself out of his reverie. This was so wrong on so many levels. "I think I'm losing my mind to be honest, Gabriella. This isn't me, and I feel so lame about all of this." He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, his hands shaking somewhat. "This whole tutoring thing -- Caroline meant well, but I'm really, really sorry about all this; it's really all my fault."

"Troy, it's okay, really," Gabriella looked at him again, eyes soft. He lost his mind for a second.

"It's… okay? No, wait, you don't understand - it's so lame--"

"You're not stupid for having a tutor, you know. I don't think you're stupid. There's just some things people are good at, and things people are bad at. I mean, I'm good at math and science, and I enjoy them. But people can be so judgemental and it kinda bothers me. Just because I like these things, they say I'm stuck up and that I think I'm better than everyone else but I know I'm not." She locked eyes with him again; this time they held sadness. "I don't think people are stupid. Well, some are in my year. But only because they don't care about doing well or achieving anything, but you're trying to get better and just because you're not confident in it, doesn't mean you're stupid."

"No, Gabriella, I--"

"I won't tell anyone. I know it's kinda dorky having a tutor, or even being a tutor. I've tried to tutor my brothers, but they really hate studying. But then, they are really good at basketball."

As Gabriella finally took a breath between words, Troy stiffened at the mention of Jake and Matthew Montez. All of his previous fears washed over him like a tidal wave and he couldn't see any way of this ending good.

"I suck at basketball. Everyone in my family loves it except me. But then, that's what I mean about people not being stupid just because they don't know how to do a certain thing. They don't know math like I do and I can't do sport like they can. And I…" she drifted off, her blush more prominent on her features. Troy's eyes narrowed only in confusion as Gabriella tried to pick her words carefully. She was clearly embarrassed about something. "I don't know anything about fashion or make-up. Sharpay does. And as much as she annoys me and makes me wants to kill myself with any sharp object, she really does know a lot about those things, and how to look nice."

"I think you look really, really pretty." The words were out before he could stop them._ Damn you, word vomit!_

Gabriella looked away again and cleared her throat. "I'm just saying. I won't tell anyone. And you're not stupid."

"Don't you know who I am, Gabriella? I mean, really. You have no clue?"

"Should I? Are you royalty or something?" She smirked.

"Suppose if you asked the population of East High, they'd sure as hell say so. I'm just asking because, well, for a start, I had _no idea _who you were when we first met and I was really drawn to you, I'll admit. But I do know who your brothers are, and for that reason, I just find it hard to believe that you'd never heard anything about me until the day we did meet."

Gabriella's brows knitted together. "You're friends with Jake and Mattie?"

"The opposite, really. You honestly don't know? You've never been to any of their basketball games? Any games against East High?"

"I usually take a book. It's far more interesting."

"So, you don't know."

The tension hung high in the air and Gabriella looked more confused than ever. There was silence for a few moments, even the sound of Caroline moving around in the next room to eavesdrop had gone deadly quiet.

"Is this…?" She gulped. "Is all this some sort of set up? Some sort of game to get one up on Jake and Mattie?"

Troy closed his eyes in pain. "No, not at all. I mean, I guess, yeah, on some level, a set up, but not for the reasons you think right now."

"So, all of this is a game?!"

"No! Not at all! I didn't know you were even related to them until that day I saw you at West! When I saw you get into their car, I freaked out. I had no idea they had a sister but then I thought about it and you guys look so much alike…"

"Being triplets, you usually look a lot like your siblings." Gabriella's tone was icy, hurt, confused. Troy's brain scrambled to make everything right.

"I didn't know, I swear. And no, I don't exactly get along with your brothers and the reason I asked if you knew me was because I was sure you'd hear about the fighting. I'm captain of the Wildcats basketball team - I'm public enemy number one."

"And even if I did, you'd think I'd join in on their petty games? I know they hate the Wildcats, and yes, names are thrown around like garbage but I never pay attention. My brother's aren't stupid, but that's definitely an area they succeed on all levels of stupidity." Her tone was still off and Troy felt the moment slipping rapidly through his fingertips. "No, until just now, I had no idea who you really are. And now I know for sure that it really was for the best that I didn't tell them where I was going today."

"I thought you had a right to know. And I want to make it super clear that all this isn't a game to get back at them. I don't start the fights, I don't want to be a part of the fights, but they happen anyway. It's so ridiculous."

"Yeah." A pause. "So, then, what is all this? You really need help tutoring, or…?" Gabriella gestured to the textbooks lying on the table and the candle with its flame still flickering tauntingly in Troy's face. He leaned forward and blew it out again, putting his frustration into that one blow.

"It's Caroline, all Caroline. But then, it's all me, too. I spent the entire day waiting outside West High hiding _in a bush _to talk to you, and then it all got out of control when she thought it would be a good idea to ask you to tutor me."

"Why?"

"Because she's a lunatic. But I'm not that much better, going along with it. I'm actually really good at math, although it bores the socks off me." He realised what he'd said. "I mean, not today! I've really enjoyed today and you're really, really smart and it's fascinating the way you talk about it. Socks were definitely not coming off in boredom today, promise."

Gabriella was trying to take all of this in, but her low self-esteem wasn't allowing her to see the bigger picture. Her logical mind wanted to ask more questions to confirm what her heart was already telling her. But she wouldn't believe it. It would be far too good to be true.

"Why are you telling me this?" She asked quietly. "What was the point in still inviting me round here when you know the trouble it could cause with my brothers?"

Troy shrugged his shoulders, almost in defeat. "I guess I should stop thinking about things in a pathetic way. Just because I don't get along with your brothers, doesn't mean we can't be friends, does it?"

"Well, no, I guess not. I don't care what they think about me, but then if we were to be friends, I wouldn't like to announce it to the world. They're really annoying when they get all protective and stuff."

"Yeah."

"And they're even more annoying when they start boasting about fights they've started and who they've beaten up and how many hits they took. If they found out we were friends, all that plus the annoying protectiveness would come out and irritate me further."

"Yeah, I get what you mean." His voice was low, effortless.

"So, if we were to stay friends, it would have to be secret and we'd have to, you know, sneak around, lie about where we were going, what we were doing, and who we were doing it with."

"Yeah."

"It's… kinda a lot to do and a lot of pressure to put on yourself for the sake of being friends."

"I know." Troy looked down. "Situation really sucks, doesn't it?"

Gabriella nodded her head, her heart beating wildly in her chest. "But you've still gone ahead and set up this little charade… even with the pressure and stuff. You think this," she gestured between the two of them, "is worth it?"

Troy looked up and finally caught her gaze with his again. "Well, yeah, I do." He swallowed nervously. "It sounds stupid - everything we've just talked about sounds so, so stupid. But, yeah, I think it's really worth it."

He felt his throat tighten with the nerves and his stomach was one giant roly-poly. But, albeit very gingerly, he roused up enough courage and strength to lift his hand and very gently press his fingers against hers on the table.

The electricity was undeniable. That one touch told the world and his brother that all the hassle was so worth it.

Gabriella bit her lip and held her breath. And though her shyness always caused her to look away bashfully when she felt his eyes on her, suddenly his beautiful baby blues were just too much to look away from.

"So, you hid in a bush all day for me?" She asked in a gentle whisper.

Troy nodded slowly. "Yeah, I hid in a bush for you."


End file.
